Studying (with) You (GallusXSandbar)
by PonyPlays2014
Summary: The first exams are due at the School of Friendship and Gallus needs help with a subject. Luckily Sandbar offers his help. Can they work together to pass the exams? Is Sandbar able to help his friend? But how will this all work out? We will see! Shipping: GallusXSandbar (Season 8)
1. The Last Day of School

_"Hearth's Warming Day, and therefore, our Hearth's Warming Dance is right around the corner and so are our first big exams! I'm sure you all will make us proud and prove to us, but most importantly to yourself, that you understand the Magic of Friendship. Miss Rarity, Miss Rainbow Dash, Miss Fluttershy, Miss Pinkie Pie, Miss Applejack, Guidance Counselor Starlight Glimmer and Secretary Spike will help you when there are questions. In case there are more complicated problems you can come to me but only if there is no other way. I wish you good luck and fun today! And study hard!"_

With those words the weekly announcement from Principal Twilight Sparkle finds her end and the class finally starts. Today's first, and only, subject is Generosity. Rarity tells the entire class to wait for her so she can gather the materials she prepared for their study sessions. "I will be right back, okay Darlings?" She says before leaving the room and the second she closes the door the entire classroom breaks out in a mixture of groans. whispers and the sound of quills leaving their marks on paper.

The class consists of Sunflower, a light-yellow coated young pegasus-mare with two lime-green pigtails, Faint Breeze, a silver coated young earth-stallion with a short, black mane and tail, Hazel, a chocolate-brown coated young earth-mare with a lighter brown long mane and a short tail, Velvet, a lilac coated young unicorn-mare with beautiful blue locks, Sandbar, a pale lime-green coated young earth-stallion with a moderate cyan and brilliant arctic blue mane and tail, Smolder, a young female Dragon with orange scales, Yona, a brown furred female Yak, Silverstream, a, as her name already reveals, silver Hippogriff, Gallus, a male griffon with intense blue feathers and a pale-yellow undersite, and Ocellus, a shy female Changeling with a pale-turquoise coat.

"I can't believe how fast the last few months went by", Ocellus whispers to her five friends, who took their seats in the first two rows, "Finally I can prove how much I have learned here. Thorax will be so proud!"  
While she is full of bliss the rest of them are unsure what to make of Twilight's announcement. Smolder and Gallus exchange a look and both shrug. Quickly after that Gallus continues to draw a few circles on his paper.  
"Eh", the dragon contributes to their conversation, "I don't know why we have to write exams on 'Friendship'."  
She uses her claws to put her last word in invisible quotation marks before continuing her opinion.  
"I mean, isn't friendship something you just... know? What kind of questions do they even want to ask? 'What would you do if your friend ask for your help? A) Ignore him, B) Tell him you're busy or C) Agree to help him because you are a great friend!' Please..."  
The other laugh but the hippogriff behind Gallus begins to think.  
"Ohh! Ohh! A, no wait... B! No... C? D?"  
As usual, Silverstream doesn't understand sarcasm and seriously tries her best to answer Smolder's fake question.  
"There was no D Silverstream", Sandbar points out with a hearty laugh following his words.  
"So... Is it D?", the hippogriff asks again and finally gets her answer from Gallus.  
"Yeah, sure. It is whatever you want because a friend is always right. That's part of friendship, right? Right!"  
He focuses the hippogriff behind him and glares at her for about a second before he turns his attention back to his paper. The other look at him and then at each others faces.  
"Are you alright? You seem a little bit... grumpy today", Sandbar asks his buddy next to him but instead of an answer he gets a glance from the busy griffon.  
"Gallus is mad?" Yona asks but again the blue male doesn't answer.

Before they could investigate more Rarity returns, levitates their tables, chairs and the students sitting on them around a big stage and hands out their papers with topics they need to know before their exam.  
"Please take one from the pile and give the rest to your neighbor. We will talk about the individual topics briefly and then we will continue where we left of last time", the white unicorn explains while the stack of paper travels through the class.  
She takes a quick look around to make sure everyone is provided with the information before she starts.  
"We discussed how someone can show Generosity in daily life and which different forms of Generosity there is. We also took a few lessons to figure out what you should do when someone will or can not accept your generous help. The last topic we discussed was what happens when you are too generous with your friends. Then we changed our interest to fashion, your second subject, and I explained to all of you how to use a sewing machine and how to perform stitches on different fabrics. We will finish this today with the two remaining fabrics, velvet and chiffon. I will show you how it is done and then you can try it for yourself."  
Time passes by as Rarity shows her students how to work with those very sensitive fabrics and as she hands out the sewing machines to her students.  
"Alright everyone! Time for experiences!", the white-coated unicorn exclaims with excitement and the young males and females begin their work. Yona has some difficulties with placing the fabric but with Ocellus help she figured it out very fast. Velvet lost her ball of yarn while she was busy preparing her machine but luckily it rolled directly underneath Smolder's desk. She fetches it and gives it back to her before continuing with her own work. Everyone is eager to learn but Gallus seems to be the only one who isn't even trying to do anything.  
"Stupid, stupid, stupid...", he mumbles before turning off his machine, which is hasn't used anyway, and just begins to read the pieces of paper Rarity gave them.  
Sandbar, who understands how it works, offers his help to his classmates but no one needs him right now so he sits at his desk and observes the others. It doesn't take him long to notice Gallus and so, thinking that he might has a problem, he stands up and heads for his seat.  
"Hey Gallus, can I help you with something? I know it's seems difficult but with a few little tricks I could-"  
"No. I don't need your help. I can do it on my own.", the griffon quickly interrupts the stallion without even looking at him.  
Gallus is known for his rough personality but somehow he sounded not like himself today. The change in his voice startles Sandbar and, with a worried expression on his face, he backs off and returns to his seat while keeping his eyes focused on the blue male.

The rest of the period went by and Miss Rarity ends the lesson with a big grin.  
"I'm so proud of all of you and I'm sure you will do great in the exam. That's all for now so please use your time to repeat what I've taught you and I will see all of you in two weeks. I already wish you the best of luck."  
"Thank you Miss Rarity", the class replies and everyone gets off their seats and leaves the room.  
"Gallus? You coming?", Yona asks as she notices that the griffon is still at his desk looking at his papers.  
"Go ahead. I will catch up with all of you", he answers, again, without even moving his eyes away from the information in front of him.  
The yak turns around and leaves the room, leaving Gallus behind alone with his thoughts. A few seconds go by before a sigh fills the room. Gallus drops his head on the table in front of him and stays silent until a female voice asks him something.  
"Gallus, Darling? Why are you still here? The others already left you know", the white unicorn asks her student but he just stands up and excuses himself before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.  
He walks across the corridors before a well-known voice calls out for him  
"Hey Gallus, I was wondering for how long you would sit in there", the pony says as he points his hoof to the door the griffon closed.  
Sandbar was waiting for him next to a locker after Yona told them about what happened. The griffin just looks at him and continues his way towards the cafeteria to get a snack but his friend grabs him by the wing. The sudden pressure startles him and he stops his movement and glares at the pony.  
"S-sorry but the group wants to meet in the garden behind the school. Do you want to come?", Sandbar asks him with a shaky voice but the griffon's glare turns into another sigh as he turns around and follows his friend to the garden.  
Even before entering the garden Silverstream's voice finds it's way into their ears.  
"Looks like they are waiting for us", the stallion jokes before opening the, with glass decorated, door and entering the beautiful garden.

The griffon follows him quickly and they make their way towards a group of four females, who are already waving at them. The garden is big and showcases a giant redwood, different kinds of colorful flowers and even a little river leading from the waterfall through the garden and around the school to pour into the lake in front of the school.  
"They are here! They are here! I knew he could get him to come!", Silverstream celebrates as she spots the two males heading towards them, "Good job Sandbar! Hooray!"  
The sudden praise causes the lime-green pony to blush as he sits down next to Silverstream and Gallus, who takes his place at the same time he does, to complete the circle they form.  
"Alright! Now that we have some time... Let's talk about the exams", Ocellus suggests which, again, results in groans and much displeasure.  
"Again?", the orange dragon complains, "What is there to talk about? You study, you write the exam and you either fail or pass. That's it! There is nothing more to it."  
"Smolder smart. Exams sound easy", the yak agrees but Ocellus had something else in mind when she brought up the topic.  
"No, I mean maybe we could help each other out. If someone has problems with a topic we could help and study together. That way studying can be fun and we can spend time together instead of alone", the Changeling explains and it looks like the idea clicks well with the other creatures.  
"That's a great idea!", Sandbar applauds his friend and Silverstream flies a barrelroll in excitement while exclaiming how much she loves the idea.  
"So, does anyone need help with something?", Ocellus asks and, after thinking about it for a while, Smolder raises her claw.  
"I really, really don't get Ancient Equestrian History. Principal Twilight does her best but I can't remember anything. Also I think I could need some help with Miss Fluttershy's Kindness lessons. I just don't get it! if someone is sad why bother cheering him up? If he doesn't want to be happy why force him to be?"  
"I could help you with Twilight's topics. I love history!", Ocellus offers her help and Silverstream combines that offer with her own.  
"And I can help you with Kindness. I love her lessons. They are always so happy and, well, kind!"  
A gentle smile appears on the dragon's face and she gratefully accepts her friends offer. Gallus, who is still silent looks at his dragon friend and sees how happy she is now that she found help. Letting out another sigh he also raises his claw, causing the hippogriff to gasp in surprise.  
"Whaaaaaaaaat! What what what what wh-", she almost shouts before Sandbar's hoof covers her mouth to give Gallus the opportunity to speak.  
"Since Smolder is ready to accept help I will ask for it too", the griffon explains himself, "I really need help with Miss Rarity's Generosity lessons. Would someone help me under-"  
"I'll help you!", the stallion interrupts his friend abruptly and raises his hoof, "I am really good at it. I'm sure I can explain it to you in no time."  
Gallus lowers his claw again and he forces a smile and thanks his friend for his support.  
"Thanks... I guess?"  
"Yona? Do you need help with anything?", Ocellus asks her but the cheerful yak shakes her head.  
"No, Yaks are best at exams! Yak will pass."  
Ocellus, Silverstream and Sandbar don't need help either so they can concentrate on their own students for now.

"Well, I think we got everyone covered", the Changeling declares with a joyful voice.  
With those words the spontaneous meeting comes to an end. Yona makes her way back to her dorm and Ocellus, Smolder and Silverstream head for the cafeteria to eat something, leaving the two boys behind.  
"So", Sandbar tries to start a conversation, "Do you want to come to my dorm in two hours or so? I need to get something from the market and run a few errands first."  
"Sure, I guess", the griffon replies with a voice that is filled with an awkward feeling.  
"Great! See you later then Gallus."  
The lime-green stallion exits the garden through the door they entered it and Gallus flies his way to his room to relax until it's study-time.  
"Yeah...", he thinks to himself as he feels something aching in his stomach, "great..."


	2. A rough Start

One hour passes by as he lays on his bed and reads Miss Rarity's paper over and over again but he can't make heads or tails of it. No matter how often he repeats the words in his head, they won't make sense.  
He spends the last remaining hour to read a 'Griffon Rangers' comic book. The stories are bad but the drawings look very nice. In this issue the Griffon Rangers fight their arch enemy Darkwing, an evil griffon who wants to rule the world by stealing all treasures and money around the world. Suddenly his alarm clock goes off.  
"I guess I should get going", Gallus thinks to himself before getting of his bed and making his way to his door.  
He hesitates but something inside of him forces him to open the door and leave his room. Luckily Sandbar's room isn't far but every step is harder and harder for him to complete. The thought of someone else, besides his teachers, teaching him because they are better than him strangles his throat and causes it to dry out. It only takes him two minutes to go down the stairs to the 1st floor of the dorm and to reach his friend's door.  
"Okay", he whispers to himself, "You can do this. Stay cool and let him help you."  
But before he even has the chance to knock on the door it swings open and the lime-green stallion stands in front of him and welcomes him with a smile.

"Right on time! Great. Come in, come in so we can get started", Sandbar says before stepping aside and letting his friend, who is visibly shocked, into his own paradise.  
"How... did you know I was here?", the griffon asks as he follows the other male into the room.  
Sandbar looks at him and smiles again as he explains, that he just felt like someone was at the door.  
"Call it good intuition."  
He offers the griffon to sit on his bed, which he accepts, while he fetches the papers and his index cards with his notes he took during class. In the meantime Gallus investigates the room, which he has never seen before. They usually don't hang around in each other's rooms. Their rooms aren't as different as he expected. This room's wallpaper is a pale red but his own one is pale yellow. The interior is very similar though. It contains a wooden bed with white sheets, a desk with a chair, a clock on the wall, a nightstand next to the bed he is sitting on. a big closet and a small, wooden bookshelf with different books. He can read a few of the titles and it looks like there are schoolbooks, comic books and few novels.  
"Daring... Do and the... Marked Thief of... Mera...Mare...Marapore?", he mumbles as he tries to read one of the novel's side-cover.  
"Did you say something?", Sandbar, who still has his back turned towards him, asks. He must have heared him but couldn't understand him.  
"Huh? Me?", Gallus asks startled, "No, no..."  
He pauses and silence fills the room until he decides to start a real conversation.  
"What is Daring Do?"  
"Daring Do? She is the heroine of my favorite book series. She is an adventurer who solved puzzles, finds treasures, outwits the bad guys and saves entire cities. She is awesome!", Sandbar explains as he sits down on his chair to organize his notes on his desk, "I have every book A.K. Yearling ever wrote about Daring Do."  
"Ah... Interesting", the griffon replies before silent returns to take over the room.  
Sandbar finishes organizing his notes and is ready to start their study session. He turns his chair around so he can face the griffon on his bed and asks him what topics cause him trouble. The griffon thinks but decides to stays silent.  
"I can't say everything! I would look like a complete idiot. But... that's exactly what I am when I'm confronted with Generosity", he thinks to himself as his body heats up and his eyes to move around in his sockets, not able to focus one thing. He is getting really nervous

"Well...", the pony interrupts the other male's thoughts, "How about we start with the basics. Okay, what is Generosity?"  
Gallus tries to remember the specific definition Miss Rarity used but can't even remember a single word. When it comes to Generosity his brain just blacks out and ignores everything in class that is related to it.  
"It... Is something when you do something because of... something?", he guesses, his voice clearly showing signs of doubt and insecurity.  
The earth-pony stares at him with wide eyes, then checks the index card in his hoof and returns his eyes to the griffon.  
"Erm...", he stutters, "That was... close. But maybe a little bit more specific?"  
"Generosity is... is... something when you do something for someone else because of something?", Gallus tries to improve his former statement but it still sounds like something a filly would say a few days after learning to speak.  
"Better... But I think we can go a bit more specific?", Sandbar suggests but the male across from him does not look like he wants to try that again.

"Or we could take on something else!"  
He swaps his index card with an other one and reads the question on it, "Name three examples for showing Generosity. That's simple so I'm sure you can do it."  
But again Gallus can't remember anything from class so he tries his best to think of examples he experienced.  
"Taking something from someone who doesn't need it. Refrain from telling someone your negative thoughts about them. And giving someone something because it doesn't work anymore?"  
Again he totally misses the point of the question and Sandbar again tries to make the best of his answers.  
"I don't think that the first thing is really generous and the second one should be obvious and expected from someone. The third one is the closets to be Generosity... Not yet there but at least closer", he explains before taking a look at his card and reading his own answers.  
"Examples would've been: Lending someone money because he wants to buy something. Give something you really like to your friend who needs it more. And offer your help when your friend is in need."  
"What?", the griffon raises his voice as he hears the correct answers, "That's just stupid! Why should I give someone money? I need my own money. And if someone wants my help he should pay for it, that's how it works! Why does being generous mean being a pushover?"  
He just doesn't get what's so great about Generosity. it sounds like a lot of work and a big burden for no reward at all. But his opinion does not come across positive because Sandbar seems to be a bit upset.

"Just because you show Generosity doesn't mean that you become a pushover! And you don't do it because you want a reward but because you want to help someone who needs you right now. I mean, look at us. I'm helping you without demanding anything and you need me to-"  
"I don't need you!", Gallus suddenly yells as he raises to the air and spreads his wings, his face showing pure fury.  
"I don't need anyone! I can pass the exam on my own. Griffons are smart and awesome after all and we don't need help from gullible ponies who think the world is all rainbows and sunshine!"  
He whizzes to the door, opens it and slams it closed before making his way back to his own room.  
"Who does he even think he is? Treating me like I'm too stupid to understand his sarcasm", his enraged mind complains about his so-called friend.  
Gallus reaches and enters his room, wasting no time landing on his bed and punching his pillow as hard as he can  
"You do it because you want to help your friends", he imitates Sandbar's voice, but way more high-pitched, as he finishes his assault on his pillow and the energy leaves his body, causing him to collapse on his soft bed.  
"Stupid Jerk...", are the last words that leave his beak before he falls asleep, drained from every little bit of energy.  
The stallion, who is still sitting on his chair in his room, places the index card back on the table and begins to read them again and again.  
"I don't know what to do...", he mumbles as he starts over with his first card and repeats it's content in his head.


	3. How to Teach a Griffon

**I changed my style a little bit:**

 _Sentences written like that are now thoughts!_ **I hope it's obvious which thoughts belong to which character!**

The morning sun slowly rises and waves the moon goodbye as the first students awake. One of them is Sandbar. The young pony fell asleep on his chair while he was captured in his own thoughts. He lifts his head from the wooden surface and peels a few index cards, that got stuck on his face, off his coat. **  
**"I slept so bad...", he criticizes his not-so-goodnight rest as he gets off his chair to prepare himself for breakfast. He pays a visit to the male's bathroom and brushes his teeth, combs his mane and washes his face with cold water to wake himself up. Much to his surprise is the room completely empty! Usually at least two other students would be here this early but, since there are no more classes, there is no reason to get up early but Sandbar really likes the breakfast they serve in the cafeteria. Thinking about it makes him stomach rumble in anticipation. **  
** _"Alright, time to get something in my stomach."  
_ After checking his reflection one last time he leaves the bathroom and grabs his little sack full of bits. But before hanging it around his neck he peeks into it to see how much money he has left in it.  
 _"12 Bits... More than I thought! Rad! I'm sure this will last until the exams."_ **  
**With a big grin he hangs the sack around his neck before leaving his room. After a short walk downstairs Sandbar leaves the big building serving as his dorm and makes his way to the school building, where the cafeteria is located. On his way he meets a few other students and among them is Silverstream, who greets him with a big smile and a warm hug. **  
**"Hey! Good Morning Sandbar. I loooove what you did to your mane!" **  
**The, still slightly tired, pony yawns and greets her back, "It looks like it always look." He blows a small amount of air through his mane, which slightly raises and then falls flat again. "And you look like you have all the energy in the world... as usual." **  
**They continue their way to the, except for a few other students, empty cafeteria. They each take a tray and grab something they want to eat. Sandbar chooses a salad, a hayburger and a pile of seven cookies while Silverstream decides that she needs something sweet too. **  
**"Uhhh!", the female shrieks as she notices a plate with colorful cupcakes, "I love Cupcakes! Gimme Gimme!" **  
**As quick as a thief in the night she picks a pink-frosted and a chocolate-covered cupcake with sprinkles. **  
**They each pay their food and look for an empty table to sit at, which does not take them very long. **  
**A few minutes pass by in silence as they both enjoy their food. Sandbar offers to fetch them both a cup of apple juice and after his return he and his friend propose a toast for such a delicious breakfast. **  
**"Have you seen the others?", he asks but Silverstream only knows that Smolder said she wanted to sleep longer today and Ocellus wasn't feeling hungry when she visited her. But she doesn't know where Gallus or Yona are.

"What about Gallus?", she then asks but Sandbar doesn't really know how to answer that.  
 _I can't tell her about our huge fight... But maybe she can help me... And maybe talking about it will help me calm down a bit..._ **  
**"We", he begins his answer but pauses after that, still figuring out which path he wants to go from there. **  
**"You two?", she repeats, interested in an answer. **  
**"We had an... exhausting day yesterday. I guess he wants to rest." **  
**He decided to not tell her anything but something in the back of his mind tells screams for him to tell her about their conflict.  
 _This isn't her problem... It's mine...  
_ "Oh! You must have studied very hard. I knew you two would get a long well! Called it!" **  
** _She really can't be any further from reality. We don't get along at all! There is no way repeating everything will help_ , Sandbar thinks after hearing his classmate's cheerful version and his worries leave their marks on his expression. **  
**Of course Silverstream notices that too and puts a bit more pressure on the young stallion. **  
**"What's wrong? Tell me! Talking about it will help you." **  
**The pressure becomes to much to handle and, with a sigh of defeat, he begins to tell the entire story: Their attempts to study, their failures and their heated argument with each other. **  
**And, after finish his recap, he sees an expression he never saw before on the hippogriff's face: It wasn't just normal sadness, it was advanced sadness! **  
**"Oh no! Friends shouldn't fight like that, they should be nice to each other and be happy to have each others company. But you two really fell apart! You have to do something!" **  
**But apologizing is no option for the pony. It wasn't his fault after all! He only stood his ground after his friend not only insulted him but his entire race! But he also knows that there is no way that they can keep going like that. He has to find a way to make peace and to show him that generosity isn't just for weaklings! But... how?

"I know", he says, his voice shaking uncontrollably, as his ears slowly lower themselves, "but I don't know how? I tried my best to study and explain it to him. I mean, it works for me but it's like he doesn't even listen or ignores everything I say. Unless it makes him angry of course", he grumbles after saying that but quickly catches himself again and goes on, "so I don't really know what else to try."  
"Well", the hippogriff begins to think back to their own study session, "Smolder also had her problems with reading the books and understanding them so we showed her a documentary and it worked! She learns much better with visual input than with books. Maybe Gallus also has his own way of learning?"  
 _She could be onto something..._ , Sandbar realizes and tries to remember what Gallus best subjects are.  
"He has the best grades in P.E. in the entire class and he is also pretty good with Miss Applejack's lesson about how to grow plants. Maybe he learns things by doing them instead of reading and talking about them!"  
 _This must be it!  
_ The stallion finally realizes how he can help his friend but, after thinking about it a bit more, he begins to doubt his own words.  
"But if he learns by doing the task... why is he so bad at sewing?"  
"Maybe he never really tried it?", Silverstream asks.  
This one question causes Sandbar to notice it. He and Gallus were sitting next to each other the entire year and he never really saw him using the sewing machine or working with the fabric Miss Rarity gave them. He always gave up or didn't even started."Of course! You're right! That's why he has so much problem with Miss Rarity's class. He can't learn by listening and working with fabrics frustrates him. Now I know how I can help him! But first I have to make up with him but how? How do I talk to a griffon who, most likely, hates me right now?"  
"Apologize to him would be the best thing to do", the hippogriff suggests but the pale lime-green male isn't sure if an apology is enough.  
 _Gallus can be really resentful if something or someone bothered or annoyed him enough. And it wasn't my fault anyway so why should I give in? But... I guess I have to make the first step or we will never get anywhere...  
_ Sandbar, who is focusing his cookies, thinks about his friend's idea and, after realizing that there is no other way, he agrees.  
"I will apologize to him but first I need to learn more about griffons so I can understand Gallus better. Or do you know something about them that I don't know?"

They spend a few minutes comparing their knowledge on griffons and brainstorming ideas how to follow up Sandbar's excuse. After collecting the ideas they look at them to see how they would work out but not even one of them passes this test. They never dealt with griffons before but they heard from other ponies that they can be very stubborn and grumpy when things don't go their way. Their ways of handling situations are totally different than the way ponies solve their problems. But there's got to be somepony who knows how to connect with them. **  
**"Who do we know who is befriended with a griffon?", Silverstream thinks loudly to herself but this question sparks a light bulb in Sandbar's mind. **  
**"Wait! That's it! Someone, or should I say somepony, who has a griffon as her friend. Someone who is always very loyal and brave!" **  
**His face begins to glow with joy from one ear to the other as she gives one hint after the other. **  
**"Ohhhhh!", the hippogriff yells. **  
**She finally took the hint and realized who he can talk to. **  
**"Miss Fluttershy!" **  
**Or she ignored them and just said what she thinks is correct. With a loud smack the pale-yellow hooves make impact with the stallion's face before slowly sliding down and taking their place next to the almost empty plate. **  
**"No", Sandbar explains, "Miss Fluttershy is good with animals but I'm sure she wouldn't enjoy the temper of the griffons. I meant Miss Rainbow Dash! She told us about her friend Gilda, remember? Do you remember the story about how they fell apart as friends and how they worked things out? I'm sure she can help me with my problem!" **  
**He gulps down the last drops of juice, puts the remaining two cookies in his back for later, returns his tray to Mrs. Frosting, one of the lunch mares, and makes his attempt to leave the food-area of the school. **  
**"She's on the second floor, first door on the right after the Tree of Harmony-sculpture!" **  
**He stays in place, a few meters away from the exit, and thanks his friend sarcastically, but not in a mocking or insulting way. **  
**"I know Silverstream but I appreciate your help." **  
**He makes a few steps towards his desired door but again the hippogriff puts a stop to his actions. She turns herself around so she can look directly at his tail and hindlegs . **  
**"But my right! Not your Right. Mine!", she shouts way louder than she really needs to. He isn't that far away. **  
**Sandbar looks at her with confusion written on his face and with slightly narrowed eyes. **  
**"We have the same right, Silverstream! I was there before so I'm sure that I'll find it. Talk to you later!"

He rushes out of the cafeteria and heads for the nearest stairs he can find to get to the 2nd floor. It takes him a bit to find the magnificent piece of art but he eventually finds it and heads for the first door on the right, just like he remembers and Silverstream described it. **  
**He knocks on the door but it takes a while before something happens. **  
**"Come in!", the well-known voice, which belongs to one of his teachers, calls out to him. **  
**Sandbar opens the purple door, which is made entirely out of wood, and steps into an unknown room. It's her office but he has never been there before. He heard about it from other students, who had to go there after causing trouble in or outside of class, and he remembers that Miss Rainbow Dash told them where her office is a few times during her lessons but he never saw it for himself. _It's... pretty underwhelming._

The one object that gains all of his attention is the big, crystal-made desk and a few pictures on the walls showing Rainbow Dash and the rest of his teachers defeating Tirek, a group photo of the entire Wonderbolts-Team and other adventures she went on with her friends.

The Pegasus with the rainbow-colored mane is sitting at her desk with a few papers in front of her. Every teacher is in a lot of stress creating the exam and letting it get permitted by Principal Twilight Sparkle. But Rainbow Dash does not look like she is very busy. She sits in her chair with a "Making School 20% Cooler"-cup filled with presumably apple juice on her desk next to the papers and watches Sandbar, who closes the door and takes the seat on the other side of the desk. The pegasus-mare takes a sip from her cup, puts it back down on the coaster and asks him what brings him here.  
"It's about a friend of mine and me. We were studying together Generosity because he really has a lot of trouble with it but we ran into some... difficulties."  
While he explained the situation she took another sip and now she's looking at him a little bit confused.  
"I teach P.E. and Loyalty, you do know that right? I'm not Rarity. I can inform her that you will come to her next but the way would be the same. I would be there and back before you even had the chance to leave this room but she should be available", the light-blue wonderbolt informs her student about what she could do for him but she lowers his voice for the last part, "unless she's getting a massage or a hooficure."  
"No no, there is no problem with the subject or our notes. I just don't know how to handle... someone like him..."  
The room turns silent but he seems to caught her attention with those additional information.  
She leans forward a little bit and asks, "What exactly do you mean?"  
"He", the male begins but stops for a few second to rethink what he wants to say now.  
He can't make it sound like he has a problem with WHAT he is, instead he has to make clear that he wants to UNDERSTAND him and help him.  
"I'm talking about Gallus. He is the blue griffon and I know that he can be really kind but somehow he wants nothing to do with Generosity. He doesn't even make any attempt to understand what I'm trying to teach him. I want to understand his side and respect it but I also want to help him pass the exam and to achieve that he has to learn how it works and what it's positive effects are!"  
His head feels like it just released all his worry at once. Not even his chat with Silverstream made his mind so empty and his chest feel like it's under unbearable pressure.  
The mare across the table lifts up and lands next to him, keeping her eyes locked on him.

"Griffons, huh? I know what you mean kid. They seem grumpy and greedy on the first look... and the second and third...", Rainbow begins to lose focus and ramble on and on but luckily Sandbar notices that too.  
"Miss Rainbow Dash... what are you trying to tell me?"  
"Wha... oh sorry", she excuses herself as her hood scratches the back of her head, making it difficult to separate the colours on her head, "I was a little bit too much in my past. Anyway, they may seem to be all that but once you know how to deal with them you'll find a way to teach them everything they need to know about friendship and that includes Generosity too. Gilda, an old friend of mine, was like that too but after she realized how important other people are to her she started to open up and bond with other griffons."  
"So", Sandbar asks after taking in the entire lecture and making his own explanation, "I just need to find something that is important to him, use that to connect with him and teach him what I want to teach him?"  
His teacher nods but he still doesn't know what that special thing could be. It could be anything and nothing because Gallus almost never talks about himself, except he wants to gloat about how great he is at sports and such stuff.  
"Something else?", Rainbow Dash asks her student, who's face shows another kind of worry now without even him noticing it himself.  
"I can't think of anything that he could care about so much that I could use it to connect with him", he admits with a hanging head.  
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash comes closer to his ears as her rough but also comforting voice tells him something he never imagined to ever hear.  
"Twilight isn't a big fan of generalization but I made the experience the thing most precious to griffons is their pride and their money. In Griffinstone money rules and having pride is one of their most important traits."  
 _He was very upset when I told him that lending money was an important part of being generous and when I stated that he would be dependent on me he was furious. Maybe she's onto something there...,_ the stallion thinks as he thanks his teacher.  
But before he leaves the room he decides to ask the one question that he kept hidden in his mind for their entire encounter.  
"I heard that you hate sitting still and doing nothing or boring stuff but how do you manage to be a teacher then? Isn't sitting in an office and doing boring stuff a huge part of your job?"  
The Pegasus looks at him and a big grin appears on her face.  
"Easy. Before and after school I'm flying around Ponyville as fast as I can and during the few minutes between my sessions I'm trying to beat my record at flying to Canterlot and back."  
"What is your record?", the now very curious pony asks and with a loud laugh she reveals her best time.  
"32.8 seconds."  
His pupils grow bigger and his jaw drops, leaving his mouth gaping open.  
"That's... that's...", he stutters but Rainbow Dash already knows what he was to say.  
"I know. I'm awesome! And now go and help your friend."  
Sandbar nods and runs his way down the stairs. He has to try it! A teacher like Miss Rainbow Dash can't be wrong. Impossible!


	4. A Fresh Start

As fast as his hooves can carry him Sandbar starts his not-so-long journey to his dorm, where all the other male students live during their school years.  
 _Please let him be in his room. Please let him be in his room_ , the pony's thoughts repeat themselves over and over before realizing that there is no way that Gallus already left, let alone woke up.  
 _It's not even 10am and it's a day off. he barely makes it to class when he has to so he surely will not be up so early without a reason.  
_ On his way to the right floor, the second one, he meets a few familiar faces but anything besides a quick hello and a smile costs him too much time. If there is a way to fix everything with Gallus he has to try it! He reaches the door and knocks on it but no one answers him.  
"Gallus? Hey! Open up!", he shouts as he bangs his hooves harder and harder against the obstacle blocking his way.  
"..o...ay"  
A voice, not louder than a whisper and even harder to understand than Miss Pinkie Pie sometimes, addresses the pale lime-green stallion, who stops his assault for a second. But he just can't figure out what the voice said.  
"Gallus? Was that you?", he asks to make sure it was really the blue griffon he desires to speak to right now, "Can I come in?"  
But this time his question stays unanswered but he didn't come this far to just give up! He has to try again and again until he opens the door.  
After a few seconds he bumps his left front hoof against the door but this time weaker than before followed by a word he uses pretty often but this time it sounds more... desperate, "Please..."  
Again silence fills the hallway for a moment, which feels like an eternity passing by, until another muffled sound scares it away.  
"..t's.. op..n"  
It's still hard to understand but at least it's volume increased a bit. Sandbar takes a deep breath before he slowly pushes the door open and steps into the darkness hidden behind it. The door falls shut and the only remaining light source dies with it.  
"Gallus? Gallus?", Sandbar asks while his hooves search for the light-switch on the wall. It should be next to the door, at least that's where the switch is located in his room.  
 _Ah, there it is!_ , a delightful thought appears in his head as his right hoof feels something, that could be either a switch or something he never felt before in his entire life.  
Luckily it is the light-switch as pressing it activates the lamp in the room, which fills the room with it's bright light. And even more luckily for him he found it at that specific moment because right in front of his right left hoof is a purple and black ball. One more step and he could've tripped over it and hurt himself! He turns his eyes away from the round object and searches for something blue and yellow.

Finally he can see the griffon, who is still in his bed with a big pile of colorful books next to it.  
"Are you... sleeping?", the pony asks even though the answer is obvious.  
How can he sleep if he just answered him? Correct, he can't!  
"I was sleeping but someone woke me up...", Gallus answers after opening one of his eyes, spotting the stallion and turning his whole body the other way, therefore facing the wall.  
 _Go away before I hurt you again...  
_ "Oh yeah... Sorry."  
The atmosphere is even more strange than yesterday, which is surprising considering that they fought and Gallus just stormed off. The pale lime-green male begins to scratch the floor with one of his front hooves as they just stood and lay there, staying silent for an uncomfortable amount of time.

"So...", the pony decides it is time to talk to diffuse the tension between them, "What are those? Books? Did you try to study on your own?"  
Gallus finally rises from his bed and stretches himself to relax his limbs.  
"No. They are comic books. I like to read them when I'm exhausted."  
His voice sounds cold and empty but his mind is telling an entirely different story.  
 _Get the hint! You can't help me with my problem... Don't let me drag you down with me_.  
He usually doesn't sound much different but something in his voice makes Sandbar nervous. Something is definitely wrong.  
The griffon picks up the comic on top of the pile and begins to read it, much to his guest's annoyance.  
"Can you listen to me? I came all this way to talk to you", Sandbar asks for his attention but the only thing he gets is a quick glance and a shrug.  
"Don't remember asking you to come", he says, now showing signs of annoyance, as he flips the page.  
 _Can't you see that I'm trying to get rid of you for your own good. Just leave and forget it!  
_ Again the tension grows stronger and stronger and Gallus's ruthless behavior and Sandbar's steadily decreasing patience can cause a big scene if they don't begin to resolve their conflict. The pony sighs again and finally says the words he knows he needs to say or else everything will be for nothing.  
"I'm... sorry"  
 _W...W...What...  
_ He pauses to see if there is any reaction but Gallus keeps the comic right in front of his face, making it impossible to see any reaction he might has.  
"I shouldn't have snapped at you yesterday. I knew that you were trying and I understand that you only told me your opinion but I was... confused. It's not a common thing for ponies to hear someone talk like that about something as beautiful as Generosity. I forgot that you aren't a pony. You are a griffon and I shouldn't have treated you like a pony and expect that you are okay with it."  
Finally he did it. Everything he felt is now free for Gallus to hear but a reaction is still lacking. He is still hidden behind his comic book. A sigh escapes from the stallion's mouth before he turns around and makes his way to the door to leave his friend alone. It's obvious that there is no way to fix anythingn anymore.

 _I... want you to leave but... I can't let you go like that... I just can't... Maybe we can start over and be friends... just... friends...  
_ It is obvious that he doesn't want to talk to him but before he could reach the door a voice asks him to wait.  
"Wait... I..."  
Sandbar stops and turns his head towards the bed, on which Gallus sits and watches him. He lowered his comic, closed it and is now holding it in his claws tightly.  
"I'm... sorry...too", he mumbles as silent as he can but that doesn't stop the stallion from hearing every words.  
 _I think I never heard him apologise before! I guess he must be really sorry and really guilty... But I think he can say it a little bit louder_ , Sandbar thinks as he decides to not let his friend off that easily.  
" What? What did you say? I couldn't understand you", he asks as he lifts a hoof to his ears to increase his hearing.  
The griffon puts the comic back on the pile before repeating what he said, visually uncomfortable with it.  
"I said", he begins but almost instantly the volume of his voice drops back to a whisper, "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said those horrible things..."  
"Whaaaat?", he asks again as he leans closer and a big grin forms on his face.  
He knows that it's mean what he is doing but it's kind of funny to mess with him now.  
Gallus lowers his eyebrows and frowns at his friend, his uncomfortableness slowly turning into anger.  
"Do you really want to start a new fight? Do you?"  
 _Okay, I think I teased him enough,_ Sandbar realizes and giggles as he denies the griffon's questions.  
"So we are friends again?", he asks and the male on the bed nods but he also has one condition for their newly reformed friendship.  
"But I don't think you should help me again. It won't work out."  
"Why not?", the pony asks as he comes closer but as he tries to sit down on the floor Gallus offers him a place on the bed.  
 _I offended your entire race and you ask why it won't work out? Really?  
_ He rises to the sky and lands next to the place he wants Sandbar to settle down on.  
With a smile he drops his bag next to the pile of books and takes the place he made available for him.  
"I was obviously annoyed with it", the griffon begins to explain but the male next to him interrupts him with a snicker.  
"Oh really? You were annoyed? I thought you were just sick of being wrong. What a relief!"  
His voice makes pretty clear that he means that as a joke but that brings him to the other reason why it won't work.  
"That. I can't really... deal with the way you talk. Do you mean what you said? Were you making fun of me? Were you trying to cheer me up? We don't talk like that in Griffonstone."  
Hearing that surprises Sandbar and his wide eyes show that. Miss Rainbow Dash explained to him that griffons don't act like ponies but they don't talk like ponies either! It's like they're living in an entirely different world!  
"Then...", he tries to think of a way to work out this issue but it seems very difficult, if not impossible, "How do griffons talk with each other?"  
The sudden interest in his culture startles the blue male, who just stares his friend in the eyes before he even understand what just happened.  
"Well", he begins but how can he explain how someone talks?  
"We griffons usually only say what we need to say. No jokes, no unnecessary information and feelings aren't important either. If you have something mean to say, just say it and get on with it. Also we don't lie to each other. It's not worth the time."  
"So basically just say what's on your mind if it's necessary?", Sandbar ask to make sure he understands what his partner was saying and he nods.

A thought rushes through the ponies mind and it's almost as if a light bulb suddenly lights up above his head but that would be Pinkie Pie's job.  
"In that case", he says as he gets off the bed and stands in front of Gallus, "You did terrible. The closest you got was the definition and that was still miles away from the real deal. Where did you even get those answers?"  
Hearing his usually calm and positive-minded friend criticizing everything he did surprises the blue male but he is even more intrigued.  
 _Does he really think he can keep this up? It's difficult and sometimes even I crack and when I crack things can turn really ugly... but he's trying, I gotta admit that.  
_ Still unsure about the proposal to try again he answers the question and admits that he made it up entirely.  
"It sounded like something a pony would say", he adds to his explanation and they both laugh but as soon as Sandbar repeats his request the laughter dies and weirdness fills the place.  
"I don't know... Are you sure you want this?"  
 _This is your final chance to turn and leave. I won't stop you but... I think I know your answer already  
_ This question sets something in action in the stallion's memory and he remembers a different way to prove how much he wants it. He turns around and fetches he pile of cookies he brought from the cafeteria and places them on the desk.  
"Let's make a deal. I'll give you my cookies and you'll accept my proposal. Does that seem sure enough for you?"  
He reaches out his hoof and waits for his possible business partner to agree. But the griffon's eyes seem to be attached to the baked sweets and his beak drops open. He knows how much his friend likes cookies, especially those oatmeal cookies, and trading them for the right to become his tutor proves a lot!  
He begins to snickers before he reaches out and grips the hoof, shaking it slightly.  
"You will regret this", he mumbles but Sandbar only giggles.  
They let go and the pony replies, "We will see about that. But for now: let's meet up tomorrow at 11 a.m. at the market.  
 _Believe me... One of us will regret this... Wait? What did he say? The market? Not the library or somewhere else to study? Why?"  
_ This idea catches the griffon off-guard and his friend notices that.  
"The market? Why?", he asks but his tutor only tells him to wait and see.  
But he gives him one clue, "Don't bring any paper or pencils. We won't need them."  
After that he wishes his buddy a beautiful remaining day and he leaves his room. Gallus couldn't react fast enough and before he could tell him to wait the door fell shut.

 _And back to square one... And now let's repeat everything and the end will be the sa-  
_ He looks at the door, where his friend stood only a few seconds ago, and changes his field of view to the table, focusing the pile of oatmeal cookies.  
 _Or maybe we can change something this time...  
_ He gets up from his bed and takes one, smells it and places it back on his table.  
 _How can he even eat them? Gross...  
_ He turns around and lays back on his bed, staring at the, compared to the rest of the room, really dirty ceiling. But he can't stop thinking about tomorrow.  
 _What does he have in mind? Why the market? How can I learn without any material? And more importantly...  
_ He tries his best to shut up his inner monologue but it doesn't work. He picks up the comic he pretended to read before and reads it for real this time but his eyes can't concentrate on the little pictures and speech bubbles. They always try to look at the pile of cookies on his table and ,after realizing that his field of view doesn't includes them, his head supports this idea by turning towards them.  
 _Why it it so important for him to help me... Why does he care so much?  
_ He spends the rest of the day asking the same questions over and over again but an answer is always out of his reach. He takes a quick shower to clear his head but, like ticks, those thoughts won't leave. They suck more and more, costing him more and more time as he tries to finally solve the riddle Sandbar gave him. Even after Luna did her duty by rising the moon, Gallus still sits on his bed staring at the pile of cookies he never touched again since the trade.  
 _I can't waste this chance... I have to do something a griffon never did before! I have to leave my pride at home and try my best to be a better griffon. Or should I be the best pony I can be? He gets along with other ponies so maybe that's the way we can work it out! But... is this the right way? Doesn't matter! It's the only way... But... can I really do that?  
_ At last he falls asleep due to the lack of energy forcing him to recharge but maybe this is for the best. Else he would've wasted the entire night asking himself questions he couldn't solve during the day. He will find out where his limits are and what Sandbar has in mind for them.


	5. A strenuous Morning

The hours go by as the moon moves across the sky and disappears behind the outline of Canterlot. Finally it's morning and the resolution to Sandbar's riddle comes closer and closer. The griffon opens his eyes and stretches his claws as far as he can while raising his backside, which makes him almost look like a cat after it's daily nap in the sun. He slept surprisingly well without his blanket, on which he slept on, covering his body but then again, he was very tired yesterday.  
 _I can't believe this one thing took my entire day as it's hostage. At least I'll see what will happen today_ , the male thinks to himself after he finished his morning routes.  
He gets up and takes a look at the clock on the wall. The sun is slowly rising so it should be around 9:30 or 10 a.m. And this assumption proves itself correct! The smaller hand of the clock points at the 10 and the bigger one at the 12. It is 10 a.m.  
"One more hour, okay. I could read a comic or take a quick walk before we head out. Or I could get something to eat be-"  
The words get stuck in his throat as he catches sight of the pile of cookies, which are still on his desk. Again he takes one into his claw and even bites off a small portion of it. The taste is dry and not really his cup of tea, or more precisely his kind of cookie, but he must admit that the texture and how it falls apart in his mouth is addicting.  
 _Not that bad actually...,_ Gallus thinks as he tries to taste everything the biscuit has to offer but there is still something about it that deters him, _but it tastes disgusting.  
_ The griffon finally swallows the remainings and puts the cookie next to the other, still complete one, spreading crumbs around both of them. He wants to turn away but something about them still being on his desk irritates him  
 _I can't keep them on my desk all the time. They will get even worse!  
_ After looking around his room for something he can but them in he finds an empty box in his closet. It's a small, pale-orange box with white wavy lines on it.  
 _Where did I get this box from? Oh... right... I stored some griffon scones in it before the old man took me here. Well, now I can fill it with disgusting cookies.  
_ Without thinking about it more than he really has to he takes the cookies and puts them into the box, closing it afterwards and hiding it in one of the desk's drawers.  
He pays a quick visit to the males bathroom to wash his face and styles his feathers. Styling them may be a bit exaggerated. He basically presses them down so that they stay the way he wants them to. But it works and that's what matters!

After returning to his room Gallus takes a second look at the clock. It took him twenty minutes to store the cookies away and to take care of his look and hygiene so he still has forty minutes until their meeting.  
 _What should I do until 11? Go back and wash my face again? Try the cookie again? Nope! Never!  
_ Gallus sits down on the chair and takes the same comic he tried to read yesterday. One day he will finish it! But will this be the morning he finishes it? No because only a few minutes after picking it up he throws it back on the pile. He is not in the mood to read right now, he is in the mood to find out what Sandbar wants to do today!  
 _Why did I wake up so early? Thirty more minutes wouldn't have hurt!  
_ He is frustrated but he remembers that when he gets frustrated things can get ugly and he just made up with his friend so he doesn't want to show up grumpy for their first meeting. He gets up and goes to the window, which shows the backside of the school and a part of the big lake in front of it. He can even see a few familiar faces, one of them is Yona. She is on her way to the school by the look of things.  
 _She forgot to tie her braids,_ Gallus notices and he begins to count down with his right claw starting at three and counting down until reaching zero.  
 _Three... Two... One... Zero...  
_ As he reaches zero the Yak trips and runs over a few ponies in front of her but she quickly catches herself again and apologizes to them.  
Gallus laughs after watching it and thinks to himself, _Classic Yona... It would be sad if it weren't so funny to watch.  
_ He watches her for a bit before she disappears inside the school building. But that doesn't bother him because he already noticed someone more interesting. A certain pale pony with a cyan mane just left the building and is heading for the school with a little sack around his neck. He knows this bag, it's where he always stores his Bits.  
 _Sandbar is already leaving but there are still at least thirty minutes until 11 a.m.! Why is he already on his way?  
_ The griffon takes a look at the clock to make sure his sense for time is right and the hands reveal to him that is it, just as he thinks, 10:30. He grabs a dark brown bag and puts a little sack, very similar to Sandbar's sack, with bits in it.  
 _Should I take something to drink with me?,_ he thinks after noticing an empty bottle next to his desk from last week.

A special juice that can only be bought in Griffonstone, made from the finest Honeysuckle Berries. And, just like everything in Griffonstone, it costs a lot of money. One bottle already costs five Bits! For comparison: A bottle of apple juice, made on Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville, only costs two Bits and they are both bottles with juice! He asked Grampa Gruff to get him some and, after a long hour of negotiation, he promised to give him twelve bottles each semester. In exchange for them Gallus had to promise to represent the Griffons but it's not like everyone is paying attention to him anyway so this was a pretty good deal for him.

He stores the remaining two bottles in his closet, alongside some white earmuffs, a light gray winter coat he never wears because the temperatures are still tolerable, a pair of white gloves and a blue raincoat.  
 _Ah heck, why not. Something to drink is always nice. And I get to show Sandbar how a real drink has to taste like. Apple juice is fine but this is the real deal!  
_ He grabs one of the bottles and puts it into the bag as well. After placing the bag around his shoulder he rushes out of the room and down the stairs to the first floor so he can leave the building. After leaving the dorm he rises to the sky and flies towards the school, following the pathway which connects the two buildings. He can already see the pale lime-green stallion walking in front of him and he yells his name, which startles Sandbar.  
"Where do you think you're going?", he asks in the deepest voice he can manage as he hovers behind him in the air.

The stallion swings around in form of a little jump with eyes as wide as possible and his mouth gaping open. He doesn't recognize that voice but, after noticing the griffon above him and putting one and one together, he places one of his hooves on his chest and takes deep breaths. Gallus, on the other hand, is doubling up with laughter as he slowly descends until he hits the floor.  
"Gallus! You scared me half to death! I thought I told you we would meet at the market at 11. Why are you here?"  
The pony doesn't understand why his friend is even awake. It would only take him two or three minutes to fly to the market so he thought he would be in his room and, most likely, asleep. But here he is right in front of him.  
"That's what I'm asking you! I saw you leaving and I was curious what you were up to. It doesn't take you thirty minutes to reach the market so I will repeat. Where do you think you're going?"  
"Oh, I was heading to the cafeteria to get us something to eat for later and then I wanted to ask Miss Rarity if I could borrow the picnic blanket she showed us when she was talking about cotton and fleece. You know, the one with the dark red and pale-pink check pattern. But first I have to find her. I hope she is in her office today."  
He turns around and continues his way and Gallus follows behind him but increases his speed a little bit to walk next to him instead.  
"So you planned a picnic? That was that big secret you refused to tell me?"  
Gallus looks at his friend's face, who smiles at him and nods.  
"Lame I know but I thought it would sound strange. Well... this doesn't sound better but-"  
But before Sandbar finishes his sentence Gallus spreads his wings and rises to the air. The pony's face shows how surprised he is and he also seems to be a little bit insecure.  
 _I knew it would sound strange..._ , Sandbar thinks to himself as his expression turns from a happy smile to a heartbreaking sulk but the griffon's words make it disappear as well.  
"Let me handle the blanket! This way we can save some time. Meet me in ten minutes in front of the school. If you're late, I'll leave, got it?"  
Sandbar nods and the plan is now set in stone.

The griffon dashes through the air and makes his way to the main entrance because he knows that the stairway in the main hall will lead to Rarity's office. He lands in front of the big golden, with glass decorated double door. The school is pretty much empty, except for a few students and the staff, and the only person on the school's forecourt is Gallus. The blue male enters the building and flies up the stairs to the 2nd floor, where the unicorn's office is located. He lowers himself until he stands on his claws and paws and slowly walks along a corridor on his left, looking at the signs next to the doors.  
 _Art room... Room B05... Room B06... Male and Female restroom..._ , he thinks as he reads every sign he sees but there is no sign with Miss Rarity's name on it, _I don't get it... It should be here!  
_ He gets frustrated again but then he finally remembers.  
 _Oh... I should've turned right after the stairs and not left. This is the wrong corridor...  
_ "Wow...", he mumbles as he smacks a claw in his face and turns around to finally get to the right room.  
And, of course, the first sign he reads in the new corridor says 'Miss Rarity's Office'. Without hesitation he knocks on the door and the well-known voice of his teacher answers him immediately.  
"Come i-i-in!", the female voice calls out with a voice that could easily rival Coloratura's singing voice.  
Her voice's pitch increases two times while pronouncing the word 'in'! Two times!  
Gallus opens the door and enters the, unlike Rainbow Dash's office, beautifully decorated room. The only thing that still reminds him about this being an office is the Desk in the center of the room but the rest of the furniture gives of a 'Manehattan-at-its-finest" charm. At least it would if he ever visited the place but since he never did it just looks very fancy to him.

A dark purple carpet covers the floor and curtains in the same color cover the sides farthest on the left and right. The wall is decorated with pictures of famous Fashionistas, which surround a bigger picture of Rarity, Coco Pommel, Sassy Saddles, Sapphire Shores and Hoity Toity from the latest 'Canterlot Royal Fashion Show'. Obviously Gallus has no idea who the other ponies are but he doesn't really care either. He has more important stuff to focus on. Still is shocks him how different this office looks from Rainbow Dash's office, the only other office he ever entered. He knows that every teacher gets to individualize their own office but he would've never imagined something like that. Now he curious how the other teachers transformed their offices. Maybe Miss Applejack has a little farm in her office and he imagines Miss Fluttershy to have plants and animals in her office. But when he begins to create Miss Pinkie Pie's office in his mind, he immediately stops. Her office can easily be a battlefield covered in cupcakes, frosting, balloons and confetti and he never felt more intimidated by those objects.

He takes a few looks around but something snaps him out of his trance.  
"Gallus, Darling! You never visited me before. Did something happen? Can I help you with anything?  
He notices his unicorn teacher, who is sipping tea in her armchair, and doesn't waste any time to get to the reason for his visit.  
"Sorry to bother you but can I borrow the blanket? The..."  
He cuts off his own sentence after realizing that he doesn't remember how it looked like. The white-coated unicorn looks at him as if she is waiting for more details.  
"Which one do you mean? I have plenty of different blankets. I could bring them here and then you can choose the one you want. Though it may take a while..."  
Looking at all of them would cost too much time and he really must hurry.  
 _Come on brain! Remember how it looked like! Come on!_ , the griffon tries to encourage his brain cells to do their job and, to his surprise, it actually works.

 _A scene takes place in his head where he hears and sees what Miss Rarity is saying about the reddish blanket and two of the most used fabrics for it's production.  
_ _"Always remember! Fleece, the fabric in my left hoof, is able to store and dispense heat and is very water-repellent so it is excellent for activities in the winter where it is cold and wet because of the snow. Cutton, in my other hoof, is the exact opposite! It is heat-insulating and is able to absorb water. So it could be very useful to use this fabric when it is very hot and you want to stay cool."  
_ _After that his vision fades away._

"The one with the dark red and pale-pink check pattern made of fleece!", he almost shouts and, after seeing how this startled his teacher, he apologizes for it.  
Rarity, who is a little bit surprised, nods and asks her student to follow her to the storage room, where she keeps all the different kinds of fabrics, the blankets and pieces of clothing she uses for demonstration, the mannequins and the sewing machines. The teacher opens the door and switches on the light with her horn, before she and Gallus enters the room. While she is searching for the blanket the griffon male uses the time to investigate the room a little bit. Usually students aren't allowed here but since there are no more classes and his teacher is with him it doesn't seem to matter. He notices a row of fifteen sewing machines.  
 _Who need so many sewing machines? There is no class with fifteen students but it's better to have too many than not enough i guess. But...why does it look like one is missing?  
_ He notices a gap between the ninth and the tenth sewing machine he counted, big enough to easily fit another machine there and it is the only gap he can see.  
"Those are the spare machines we keep in case one of ours malfunctions or breaks or if anyone wants to take one to their room to practice. We are prepared for everything", Rarity explains as she returns to the male with the object of his interest levitating in the air, surrounded by her light-blue magic aura, "Here is your blanket, Darling. What are you planing to do with it?"  
He takes the blanket with a smile on his face but the idea of telling her what Sandbar has in store for them is not a possible outcome.  
 _How would that sound! Sandbar and I are gonna have a really nice picnic, ladidadida! Well... It is like that but she doesn't have to know that! I need to say something so vague so it wouldn't be a lie but also won't spoil everything...  
_ "Sandbar wanted to see it. Something about the fabric or whatever. I offered him to get it."  
 _Good job Gallus_ , the griffon compliments his own brilliancy and gives himself a mental claw-five.  
"Oh that was really nice of you! Wish him good luck from me."  
"Of course. Thank you Miss Rarity!"  
 _Of course not.  
_ He leaves the room with the blanket around his neck like a scarf, which is way too large for him and would look ridiculous but a cool dude like he can pull it off... I guess... As fast as he can he runs down the stairs and tears open the door to get outside, not expecting somene he almost crashes into.


	6. Having Fun Studying

ATTENTION!

The following two chapters will be longer but they are the only longer one for now.

I want to describe at least one of Gallus and Sandbar's meetings a little more because I want to show how they can go if they aren't fighting and/or screaming at each other.

Also: This date will play a key-element in the story so, yeah...

I hope you'll enjoy it!

Before the two bodies make contact the griffon rises to the sky and flies a big curve before landing right next to Sandbar, who covers his eyes for the entire duration. Still waiting for the, at least in his eyes, inevitable crash but he wonders why it takes so long. Suddenly he feels something touching his shoulder, causing him to tense up.  
He looks to his side and sees the blue griffon with the blanket around his neck and a smirk on his face.  
"What? How did you react so fast?"  
"Because I'm super cool and the most awesome dude you know", Gallus gloats and winks at his pony friend. But he only rolls his eye and smiles back. Now he turns his attention to the blanket and thanks him for getting it but Gallus is more interested in the brown basket on the stallion's back.  
"Yes! Food! What did you get?", he asks but now it's Sandbar's turn to tease his friend a little bit.  
"You'll see later but now we should get going."  
The pony begins his journey across the stone bridge leading away from the school but Gallus has a better idea how to reach their destination. He lifts himself off the ground and dashes in front of Sandbar, stopping him in his way.

"Open your mouth", he orders but his pony friend seems very confused.  
"W..w...what did you say?", he stutters, not understand what the blue male wants from him.  
"Come on. Open your mouth and close your eyes."  
He understood him correctly the first time and now hearing it again startles him even more. He sets his ears back and begins to blush slightly.  
 _Is... is he being serious? This has to be some sort of joke or prank, right?  
_ He studies the face of his feathered friend to find anything that proves that he is just joking but the only thing he notices his how serious the griffon's expression actually is.  
 _Wha...he...wha...,_ Sandbar's mind begins to malfunction and shuts itself down, leaving him with nothing else but his gut feeling.  
And his gut tells him to do what his friend asked for, so he commits. But what he read into it and what actually happens are two entirely different worlds. He feels the weight from his back fading away and shortly afterwards a solid object gets stuffed into his mouth. He opens his eyes abruptly, realizing that the thing in his mouth is the basket's handle.  
"Hold on to it tight!", the griffon orders again as he becomes airborne again, puts his claws around the stallions chest and holding it tight.  
Sandbar feels the feather-covered body of his friend pressing against his own, increasing the reddish shade his cheeks became.  
"Ready?", Gallus asks while observing the male underneath him, who nods while trying his best to hide his face.  
 _W...W...What! Why do I feel so... weak? Why can I hear my heart beating or... is that his heart... I remember this... feeling...  
_ Sandbar closes his eyes and tries his best to remember when he felt like that.  
 _The first day of school when I bumped into him... When he tried to distract the real Timberwolves on Nightmare Night... The days we prepared our presentation for Miss Fluttershy's class... And sometimes when we run into each other by accident... What is that FeEEEEEK!"  
_ His eyes open wide as he feels something moving. The griffon's body comes even closer and the pony feels the griffon's heat and his muscles tensing up to lift him off the ground. But before gaining a feet of height Gallus feels the other males body shake.  
 _He's an Earth Pony. Flying must be scary for him... I remember that it was pure horror for me the first time my mom told me to try it..._ , he tries to explain the stallion's reaction and, to make his friend feel more safe, he offers him to hold on to his arms.  
Sandbar, who was starring at the floor which slowly begins to zoom out, turns his eyes upwards and sees the face of Gallus focused on him. He smiles and nods, placing his hooves on the griffin's claw and holding it in place.  
"Thanks Gallus", he says and his friend smiles and winks again before concentrating on gaining more height.  
The beat of his heart increases and his feels his cheek heating up more and more.  
 _No matter what this feeling is... it feels... nice  
_ The school underneath them becomes smaller and the clouds get closer and closer but 40 feet seem enough for Gallus so he keeps that height. The two males soar through the sky and Sandbar is busy taking in the view.  
 _So that's how flying feels like... It's amazing! Everything looks so small and I feel so... big and powerful looking down at all those building. No way... is that? Yes! It is!  
_ "Look!", the stallion suddenly shouts as he releases the hold and points his hooves on different buildings and places, "there is Miss Twilight's castle! And there is Sweet Apple Acres! And Sugarcube Corner!"  
Gallus, who never really visited Ponyville since he came to the School of Friendship, is fascinated by the ponies wisdom and he enjoys learning about those new places. He moves his eyes from the left to the right, registering more and more things his friend tells him about.

"We're here! Go down Gallus!", Sandbar yells as he points his hoof at a area containing many colorful booths in varying sizes and a big fountain.  
They descend carefully and, before touching the ground himself, Gallus releases the pony, who lands on his, still slightly shaking hooves.  
"Are you okay?", the griffon asks as he watches his friend, who tries his best not to tumble, "You'll get used to it, you'll see."  
Sandbar, who finally feels safe on his hooves again, places the basket on the ground right in front of him and smiles at him but his inner voice doubts those words.  
 _I hope so...  
_ They landed right next to the big fountain, which marks the center of the market area. After making sure both of them are ready to go, they decide to search for a nice place for their picnic. It has to be a quiet place but also not boring so something interesting to look at should be near it.  
"There's a brook nearby. I was there with my best friends from school when I was a colt and we always had a great time. Sounds good?", Sandbar suggests and Gallus likes this idea a lot.  
"Sounds like a good place for a picnic", he agrees and, to tease his friend a little bit he gives his tutor a special name, "Mister Bar."  
 _No... everything but Mister Bar! What kind of name is that?_ , the stallion criticizes the new name and asks his student kindly for a better one.  
"Let's make a deal. I will think of a better name and you'll take us to the place you mentioned."  
They both agree to this deal and the Earth-pony takes the lead.

They make their way across the market and Sandbar notices a few booths selling all sorts of things. Some of them sell vegetables and fruits while others sell water or juice. One booth sells hundreds of different kinds of exotic plants and each of them looks unlike anything he has ever seen before.  
 _I love the market... There is always something going on here! And everypony has a great time I think Gallus likes it too...  
_ He watches Gallus, who is still walking behind him, and notices that he also investigates the booths they pass by. He even stops for a moment to take a closer look at a strange flower with dark-red petals and a very dark peduncle.  
"That flower is called 'Aurora's kiss' and it helps people to relax and find things that make them happy. It feeds on the happy feelings and thoughts of those around them and, when it collected enough happy energy or feels an immense amount of happiness, it reveals it's full beauty. A very rare but, at the same time, very powerful flower", the mare, who runs the booth, explains to him.  
Sandbar comes back and also takes a closer look at the flower.  
"It looks very pretty", he admits, "and I like that name. Aurora's Kiss sounds like something from a filly's tale."  
"It's gorgeous...", the male griffon mumbles as he stares at one of the seven remaining flowers in front of him.  
 _Wow... I've never seen Gallus so enchanted by something so simple...  
_ "Only six Bits for one flower. A pretty good deal for a pretty flower, as I like to put it", the mare tries to assist her possible customers but her own joke causes her to giggle.  
"Are you interested? I have a few more so don't worry, this isn't my last one."  
But, despite his obvious signs of interest, Gallus rejects this idea completely and leaves the booth to take a look at a different one he noticed before. Sandbar watches his buddy leave and, after turning his attention back towards the flower, he sighs.  
 _Gallus has never been the kind of guy who spends his money on things expect when they are really necessary and he really needs them. Miss Rainbow Dash mentioned that griffons hate the idea of wasting money but is it really wasting it if you spend it on something you want or enjoy?  
_ "Looks like your friend changed his mind", the salesmare comments on the griffon's actions but Sandbar knows that she's wrong.  
"Not really", he explains after sighing again, "He always does that. He wants something but gives it up to safe money... It's a good thing he tries to save as much money as he can but sometimes it wouldn't hurt to use it for his own good."  
He observes his friend, who is still investigating the other booth but the mare's voice catches his attention.  
"If he changes his mind let him know that I'll be here the entire day until sunset and then I'm off to the Crystal Empire."  
"Thanks, I really appreciate it."  
"My name is Fauna. It's nice to meet two nice guys like you."  
"My name is Sandbar", the stallion introduces himself and, while pointing his his hoof in the blue male's direction, he introduces him as well, "and the miser over there is my good friend Gallus."  
They both share a hearty laugh but Sandbar notices someone towards them.  
"I'd love to talk more but I think Gallus wants to go."  
The two ponies look at the griffon, who stops right next to his pony-friend.  
"Can we go?", he asks and Sandbar winks at Flora while forming the words 'Told you' with his mouth.  
"Alright, alright", Sandbar gives into his friends request and the two males leave the booth.  
"Have fun boys!", shouts the salesmare.  
"Good luck with your flowers", he shouts back and waves at her but, after noticing that Gallus increases his speed, he stops waving and follows him.  
He quickly catches up to him and, out of nowhere, the griffon slows down again and walks behind Sandbar, who leads him to their destination.

They cross a stone-bridge that leads across the brook and onto a grassy area, which completely lacks any buildings or roads. It's like not a single pony ever came here but the real reason why this small part of the town is still rural is because Mayor Mare agreed to a petition causing it to become an official sight.  
"Wow, it's really peaceful here...", the blue male admits as slowly walks towards the big oak tree in the middle of the meadow.  
"This is one of Ponyville's most important landmarks. Do you Remember Applejack's stories about how her ancestors founded Ponyville?"  
"Of... course...?", Gallus mumbles but it is pretty obvious that he doesn't.  
If Sandbar's expression could talk it would probably say something like "Come on Bro, at least be a better liar."  
 _I guess my theory is right after all. Listening and memorizing stuff really isn't his strong suit.  
_ The stallion shakes his, with a smirk decorated, face and decides to tell him the story.  
"A long, long, long, LONG time ago a small group of ponies were on their search for a new home. And among those ponies were Granny Smith, her parents and a few other Apple-family members. One fateful and very hot day the group came across this giant tree", he stops his story and points at the big tree Gallus was heading for, "and decided to take a quick break. After settling down for a few minutes they realized how beautiful and peaceful this area was and Granny Smith noticed that the ground would be a great help when growing apples and other fruits or vegetables. So, in unity, the group made this place their new home and that's how Ponyville was founded. That's why this tree and meadow is so special to our town. Pretty interesting, right?"  
Gallus, who sat down during Sandbar's re-narration, nods and a quiet "Wow..." escapes from his mouth.  
 _I had now idea pony-history can be interesting... I don't even know how Griffonstone was founded. One day a griffon came and claimed the mountain for himself. After that many griffons went there and invaded the place and now there is a town. Not nearly as cool as their story..."  
_ "Gallus? Are you okay?", the pale lime-green male asks his friend, who seems to be a little bit sad, but the griffon deletes those thoughts and just nods with a smile on his face.  
"So... where do WE want to saddle down?"  
"Saddle down?!", Sandbar shrieks before realizing what Gallus actually meant, "Oh where we want to have our picnic! How... how about..."  
He runs towards the brook and stops right between the big tree and the brook.  
"We can look at the water and enjoy the nice view! What do you say?"  
The griffon follows the pony and stops right in front of him, looking at him before switching his gaze to the running water and the tree.  
"Or we could go-", Sandbar mumbles but Gallus sudden words startle him.  
"Good choice. I like it here", he compliments the pony's choice and, before giving Sandbar the chance to do anything, he takes the basket from his back and puts it on the ground. He then takes of the blanket and tries to spread it on the grassy ground but it turns out harder than he thought.  
"How about that? You grab this corner and I grab the other one and then we put it down at the same time", Sandbar recommends and, after thinking about it, Gallus actually accepts.  
"No harm in trying I guess...", he answers before placing one of the blanket's edges in the pony's mouth and taking the two corners opposite of it in his own claws.  
"And now we put it down... slowly and carefully."  
The two males move as one and their plan works out perfectly.

"Good job Sandy", the griffon celebrates after putting down his bag and laying down on the, much to his surprise, very comfortable piece of fabric.  
 _Sandy? San...dy... I actually like that name...  
_ Sandbar doesn't notices it but his cheeks begin to turn red again as he sits down next to his friend.  
"You too Gallus and, by the way, I like Sandy."  
Mentioning this melts away the blue male's coolness as he raises his upper body abruptly and ends up starring in the ponies eyes.  
 _Did I call him that? Argh! I just thought that this would be a great nickname for him but hearing it now sound totally schmaltzy and stupid! Stupid Gallus, Stupid Gallus, Stu... Did he say he likes it?  
_ "You like it?", Gallus asks with a perplexed expression on his face, "You honestly like it?"  
Instead of saying yes or no the pale lime-green pony nods and smiles, causing Gallus body to heat up and his tummy to release the butterflies it held captive the entire time. His plan of trying his best to be friends with the pony begin to fail.  
 _Great! I'm falling for him again! How often do I have to realize that we can't work out. He doesn't like guys, he is a pony and the me he sees right now is not the real me. I wanted to insult that stupid salesmare so badly but I held it back because of him. I can't keep it down forever... But... at least when he is with my I will try my best!  
_ "O...okay!", he shouts and, after realizing his own volume, he clears his throat and continues his sentence with a calmer voice, "I mean... Okay. How about I grab the basket and we eat something? I'm starving here!"  
And, as if his stomach heard him saying that, his belly begins to rumble. Gallus, who stares at his yellow-feathered belly, blushes crimson.  
"I can hear that! And we don't want you to starve, right? Would be boring on my own and I don't really now how to explain your sudden disappearance. Also you have to ace the test so this is not the time for you to die."  
 _So energetic... A little bit too energetic but that's the Sandbar I know. Oh right! I wanted to ask him when we can study?,_ the griffon thinks as he nods and begins to unpack the basket.  
"Speaking of the exams... When do you want to study for it?", the blue male asks but Sandbar, who knows that studying it the old way is not his intention, tries his best to brush it off.  
"Oh... well...", he slowly begins to form an answer but also tries to buy himself some time, "I mean... Soon but... It's such a beautiful day! Do you really want to spend it inside with a bunch of boring books? Of course not! Let's enjoy this picnic first. I'm as hungry as a horse, pun intended."  
 _I hope he bought it! I really improved when it comes to lyi- No! It was not a lie! It was more of a riddle. We are currently studying and we will study the upcoming days too. See: Not a lie!  
_ Gallus observes the pony, who shows him a big grin but his pupils look... smaller than usual...  
"Yeah, we can do it some other day. This day is way too enjoyable to spend it inside", the griffon agrees and they both laugh.  
But something inside of Gallus's brain says what he truly thinks.  
 _I really need to pass the exams but... A day with Sandbar, alone, on this beautiful meadow, and were having a picnic? Sold! Nothing can beat that! Especially not wasting time on studying something I don't need anyway_ _,_ he quickly silences the voice in his head and tries to concentrate on something else, _And now let's see what's inside... Wow!_ He _really thought of everything! He brought some sandwiches for himself, six cupcakes for us and I think those are griffon scones! Awesome! I love them. And he also got us a bottle of juice, which reminds me.  
_ After emptying the basket completely he takes his own bag and grabs the bottle he packed this morning.  
"Look what I've brought", he announces as he shows the, with a red liquid filled, bottle to his buddy who takes it and examines it.  
 _What is that? I kinda looks like strawberry juice but it's darker...  
_ After checking out the bottle he looks at the griffon with a puzzled expression.  
"Is that... Strawberry juice?"  
It was his only guess so why not try it at least. But, as Sandbar expected, his answer only causes his friend to laugh and to shed a tear because his stomach begins to convulse.  
"No no no, it's not something you can get here. It can only be bought in Griffonstone and is very expensive. It's Honeysuckle Juice made from the Honeysuckle Berry. Try it! It will blow your mind."  
Sandbar, who is intrigued by the new information he just achieved, examines the bottle again and, after receiving a nod from Gallus, he takes of the bottle's cap and takes a quick sip. Immediately his taste buds begin to celebrate their new experience and the juice's flavor increases more and more with each movement of his tongue.  
 _That's... incredible! I never thought something could taste that good! What kind of wonder-berries are those? I need to visit Griffonstone one day to get more of them!  
_ The pony's mind goes crazy and every single thought revolves around the delicious juice. After making sure to taste everything there is to taste, he swallows and with a moan of enjoyment he signals his buddy that he really liked the drink he brought.  
"It's good, am I right?", he asks with a smirk on his face and, after his friend's agreement, it turns into a smile that could easily melt a heart in seconds.  
 _I knew he would like it! One more thing I can add to Sandbar's list of favorite things.  
_ Sandbar seals the bottle and makes an attempt to give it back but, instead of taking the bottle, Gallus insists on him keeping it.  
"You can have it. I have a few of them in my room and I can get more if I want so it's really no big deal", he explains while sounding as cool and casual as possible.  
Even though it's not entirely true. He can have more but only if he passes the exams and they are VERY expensive, at least for bottles of juice. But he doesn't have the time to think about that right now and even if he had it he wouldn't do it anyway.  
 _I'm sure Grandpa Gruff would kill if he knew about this but... If it's for Sandbar it's worth it!  
_ "Really?", the pale lime-green stallion asks after the griffon's claw pushed his hoof back, "I have apple juice too. You don't have to give m-"  
"But I want to give it to you and that's final", Gallus interrupts him and decides this little problem they had, "You can drink apple juice everyday but I want you to enjoy my juice, I mean the Honeysuckle juice."  
 _My... juice... No comment,_ the griffon thinks but it looks like Sandbar hasn't noticed that yet.  
Instead of feeling awkward he thanks his friend with a big smile and takes another sip, spoiling his taste buds even more.

And so their big picnic begins. Sandbar enjoys his juice and the delicious sandwiches Coconut Shell, a different lunch mare, created for him. One of them is with cucumber slices, lettuce and tomatoes and the other one is a traditional Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. In the meantime Gallus savors the griffon scones. Gilda really outdid herself with those ones. Their flavor is more intense but in a good way! Every now and then he takes a sip of apple juice to moisturize his mouth. Gallus even offers his friend a bite but the pony begins to regret it the moment he begins to chew it. Now he understands why Gallus always needs something to drink when he eats them. The clawmade goods are as dry as they are delicious but that's part of the experience. At least that's what he tries to tell himself.  
 _Not bad but I'll stick with my sandwiches...  
_ After finishing their meal they decide to take a break to digest.  
"Let's save the cupcakes for later, okay? One more bite and you can roll me back to school", the griffon jokes and Sandbar agrees.  
"Can't I leave you here? I promise to visit you and bring you something to drink."  
"Sure, why not", Gallus replies and they both laugh.  
After placing the empty boxes, which were filled with sandwich and griffon scones when they got here, and bottles back in the basket, the two males lay down on their back on the blanket to restore some energy and help their digestion.  
"I've never felt this full before...", Sandbar confesses but then griffon remembers a specific event that took place about two months ago.  
"I'm pretty sure I remember you were sick for three days because of all that candy you ate on, what was it called again? Night and scare or something like that?"  
 _Nooo... That was the biggest mistake I have ever made. It's a miracle that I can even eat sweets after that trauma.  
_ The memory causes the pony to shiver and his stomach to ache a bit. He places one of his hooves on it to calm it down a bit.  
"Nightmare Night... And it was truly a nightmare for me but the costume you helped me with really ruled that night."  
"I barely did anything. I added a bit of fake blood and gave you fake fangs and suddenly your costume became scarier. At least scarier than a pony dressed in a cape and a white shirt. And I remember you were so scared when you saw my costume! You screamed like a baby griffon."  
 _Of course I was afraid! No one told me that Pinkie Pie gave you her hoofmade timberwolf costume. I was sure I would die!  
_ The stallion blushes as he tries to defend himself but this only causes his friend to laugh even louder.  
 _That was so funny! I never noticed how cute someone can look when he thinks he's about to die. His face was priceless!  
_ "That is one holiday I will always come to Ponyville for. I can't wait to scare you again next year. You will faint for sure", Gallus teases him but Sandbar plays it cool and promises him the same fate.  
Sandbar raises his upper body a bit and takes a look around. Many ponies are on their way today. Lyra Heartstrings and Bonbon are in a cafe on the other side of the brook and, after noticing him looking, they wave at him. He waves back and continues to scout their surrounding. He can see Mr. and Mrs. Cake delivering a giant cake, the CMC are helping a little filly and a group of colts are playing with a dark red ball. This reminds him of a different event.  
"Hey", he begins and nudges the male next to him with his hoof, "do you remember the Ringball Tournament?"  
"You mean the one Smolder, you and me totally dominated and won with ease? Hm... maybe a little bit. Why?"  
Sandbar tells him to get up and shows him the group of colts he noticed. They are only kicking and tossing it from one pony to the next one but it still reminds him of the game they played.  
"Our team was unbeatable! You were our eyes in the sky and you and Smolder scored every point. it was amazing!"  
Sandbar begins to praise their actions but Gallus admits that he was also playing an important part.  
"And you got every ball for us and defended our ring as good as you possibly could. Our opponents barely scored at all. I was sure you would hold us back before we started playing."  
And, of course, he uses the next chance to tease the earth pony without hesitation. He raises his eyebrow and looks at his friend, who smirks and teases him back.  
"Oh really? I bet I could still show you some new tricks but sadly we don't have a ball so-"  
"Hold that thought", the griffon interrupts before rising to the sky and flying off as fast as he can.  
 _Where is he going? Did I say something wrong? I hope he isn't angry at me... again... But this gives me some time to evaluate today's events. He really does learn by doing! He actually is very generous but I think he doesn't notice that and that's why he can't explain it or name examples. I will let him in on my results later so I can collect more information until then. But I wonder if he really doesn't notice... Oh, he's coming back! And does he have there?  
_ Sandbar stands up and watches his friend land in front of him and he also notices something secured under his arm.

.


	7. Fauna the Fan

"Here", Gallus says as he takes the round object into his other claw and places it on the ground between them.  
The pony stares at it without showing any reaction at all.  
"A ball? Where did you get a ball from? And why?"  
"That's my ball. You should have seen it when you-", the blue male begins to explain but he stops himself before bringing up that painful experience again.  
 _I should've just stopped after ball_ , the griffon criticizes himself but Sandbar tries his best to remember the ball and, indeed, he does remember it.  
"Oh right! I almost tripped over it when I came by the way", he answers and the additional information causes the griffon to chuckle and scratch the back of his head.  
 _I should better not bring up the talk itself_ , Sandbar thinks after he finished his sentence.  
"Well", he rejoins with a laughter accompanying his voice, "Luckily nothing happened, right?"  
"Lucky for you", Sandbar teases him before asking him why he brought the ball.  
Gallus picks up the ball again and explains, "You said you could teach me a few tricks soooo..."  
He places the ball right in front of the pony's left front hoof and takes a few steps back before continuing his explanation, "show me what you have in store."  
"Oh", Sandbar lets out a little voice as he realizes what is going on.  
 _I was just kidding... I mean, I am pretty good but the last time I played was in that tournament and I might be a bit rusty and maybe I oversold myself there... but I guess I can show him a few of my old tricks.  
_ He looks back at Gallus, who smiles and nods his head towards the ball in anticipation, and, after taking a deep breath, he kicks the ball into the air and begins to keep it in the air by hitting it over and over again with either his hooves, his head or his backside.  
 _Not bad, not bad but I'm sure I can top that_. the blue male thinks as he watches Sandbar perform his little trick.  
"Hey", he shouts as he raises to the sky and waves his arms to get the pony's attention, "pass it to me! We can win this super important and totally not fictional tournament final game! Pass the ball to me!"  
A smiles appears on the stallion's face as he notices his friend in the air and, while pretending to be a commentator, he kicks the ball high enough for Gallus to catch it.  
"The Star Defender from the School of Friendship passes the ball to the team's eyes in the sky and strongest offense player. Those two really form a dangerous combination that no one can stop!"  
With the ball in his claw Gallus makes a few quick twists and turns before flying a loop and dropping the ball at it's peak to give his friend the opportunity to shoot.  
"What's that!", the griffon reports in a strange accent, "Gallus dropped the ball! Was that a miscalculation or did the ball slip out of his claw?"  
Before the ball hits the ground Sandbar gathers all the power he has and hits the ball as hard as possible. It flies high into the air and in a 45° angle, a perfect shot... until it hits the tree's canopy and gets stuck there.  
"Great shot but maybe you can practice your aim a little bit more", Gallus jokes before landing next to his friend, who stares at the tree in horror.  
 _Oh no! The ball! I need to get it back or Gallus will freak out!  
_ "I'm so sorry", Sandbar jabbers without taking his eyes off the plant, "I didn't mean to lose your ball. I will get it back, don't worry. Whoever loses it, fetches it after all, right? Just wait here and I-"  
"Dude", Gallus stops the stallion from going on and on with his apology by covering his mouth with one of his claws, "Chill, okay? I'll get it. I can just fly up there and get it. If you climb all the way up and down again we will be here for days. Plus you are not a good climber... You know that, right?"  
But Sandbar can't accept that. His friend already proved to him today that he can be generous and friendly and it was the rule their group decided on together. It was the only fair way to decide it when they were playing together.  
"But... but...", he stammers even with the claw still covering his mouth, "the rule says that I have to get it so-"  
"And I say I will get it now so sit down and watch, okay?"

He spreads his wings and flaps them a few times to gain as much height as he needs. The tree is about 30 to 32 feet high and the ball landed almost at the top. He carefully comes closer so he doesn't hurt his wings or gets stuck like the ball. It happened before and he does not want it to happen again!  
 _Where is that ball... I know it should be here somewhere... The tree is green and the ball is purple and black! There is no way I can miss it  
_ But, much to his surprise and his annoyance, the ball seems to have landed near the trunk of the tree where it's darker and, therefore, much harder to see.  
 _Great... Maybe I should have let Sandbar get- No, no, no! He would have taken too long and what if he got hurt or, even worse, got stuck? It's safer this way,_ he scolds himself for even starting to think that way and, after landing on one of the thicker branches, he makes his way into the green depths of the tree.

Luckily for him the ball isn't that hard to find but it still takes him some time to get there, because he can't fly with so many branches and leaves nearby, and free it from the tree's strong clutch.  
 _Finally! Let's get out of here... This place sucks...  
_ With that goal in mind he turns around and follows the same way he used to get to the ball to get out of this greenish nightmare. And, after long minutes of suffering, he finally escapes the hellish hold of the tree. It may have just been a tree but this tree is a traumatizing one!  
"You got the ball! You're awesome!"  
He hears his friend cheering him on as he descends from the top of the tree to land on the blanket with the ball in his claws. The former frown is instantly replaced by a big smile and reddish cheeks.  
"You got the ball!", he repeats but, after taking a closer look at the griffon, he begins to giggle, "And a few other things..."  
Gallus is covered in little sticks and leaves. His wings, his back, his hind paws, his neck and even the top of his head is decorated with little pieces of brown and green. One of the little sticks is right bellow his beak and it looks pretty funny in contrast with the yellow feathers.  
"What do you mean?", Gallus asks but instead of getting a real answer, Sandbar steps right in front of him and comes closer to his beak. The griffon's head turns completely red immediately! At least it would have if his blue feathers wouldn't hide some of it but the color does come through a bit. But the heat he feels is there, no doubt, and it ignites his entire body with the heat of at least a thousand candles.  
 _I... He... What is he...,_ his mind tries to work but this moment is just to much to handle for him. He closes his eyes and waits but instead of feeling what he thought, or at least hoped, would happen he hears his friend saying something.  
"Your entire body is covered with leafs and sticks from the tree. It looks pretty funny but if I were you I would probably get rid of them. They could get very annoying."  
 _He... took a leaf... That's it,_ the griffon thinks as he stares at the green plant in the pony's hoof.  
He must have spit it out before telling him about it  
 _And I imagined...  
_ The heat increases even more as he realizes what he thought would happen and that he really wanted it to happen. And the offer his friend makes him only makes the problem even worse.  
"If you want to I can help you clean them off. Some of them are really hard to reach for you", Sandbar offers with a bright smile on his face.  
He knows that Gallus would never accept someone else cleaning him. He takes big pride in his look and he would drop dead before letting someone else help him with it. And again he is right with his speculation.  
"No thanks!", the blue male sputters, "I will search a restroom and take care of it myself."  
 _I knew it,_ the pony congratulates himself and a smirk adorns his face.  
He looks around and notices the big tower near town hall with a giant clock on it.  
 _What! It's already 6 p.m.! No way! I can't believe 7 hours went by that quickly! I really need to get there again..."  
_ "While you are gone I can pack together so we can leave", Sandbar offers but Gallus seems to be a little bit confused.  
"Why? Do you want to go?", he asks but after hearing the time his eyes get wide and his beak falls open, "No way! 6 p.m.? Already? Time really flies by when you're having fun. Speaking of flying: I should really get going and find a restroom I can use. You pack and I get rid of those pesky things."  
He notices a leaf sticking to his shoulder and tears it off. He drops the ball, takes off and flies to the nearby cafe and enters it, starting Sandbar's turn to act.

 _Now is my chance!  
_ He folds the blanket as quick as he can and drops it next to the basket. He then takes out his little moneybag and runs off to the market area they visited this morning. Most of the booths are gone but the one he aims for is still open and his new friend is still running it.  
"Hey Fauna! I'm back!", he shouts and, after noticing her new friend, the nice mare waves at him.  
"Hello Sandbar! Glad you came back. Isn't your friend with you?"  
She looks around and tries to spot him but her attempts are completely in vain.  
"No", the male replies, "He is busy but I really wanted to come back because I need one of those flowers. Aurora's Kiss was it, right?"  
The salesmare's eyes begin to sparkle and she gasps for air before asking the one question the has on her mind right now.  
"You're buying it for the griffon, am I right?"  
 _How? How can she know? Oh sweet Celestia! That's so embarrassing...  
_ His face shows how surprised he is and his rosy cheeks tells her that she hit the bullseye with that theory.  
"How do you know that?", Sandbar asks but Fauna's explanation is as simple as it is confusing for him.  
"To be honest: It was pretty obvious to me. The way you talked about him and I really felt how much care for him. I didn't want to ask because it would've been rude to ask something when he was around but now I can! So..."  
Her gaze passed right through his eyes and into his brain, causing Sandbar to feel a little bit uncomfortable.  
"So... what?", he asks but he already knows what she wants to know.  
"Does he know about you and... well... everything?"  
"What do you mean with everything?", Sandbar asks as he raises one of his eyebrows in confusion.  
"W...", Fauna stops and looks at him almost as if she got turned to stone by a Cockatrice but she recaptures herself pretty fast and begins her explanation.  
"Well... You buy this flower for your friend, right? And you buy it because you hope that he will like it, right?"  
 _Obviously_ , the stallion thinks to himself and nods two times, giving Fauna the sign to go on.  
"What exactly do you want him to think when you give him the flower?"  
"That it was nice from me? And that I'm glad to have him around me and that I hope we can spend more time together? Do you mean something like that?"  
A small smile forms itself on the mare's face and she nods before asking one more question.  
"And why do you want to spend more time with him?"  
"That's easy! He is a lot of fun to hang out with and I really like to see him relaxed and calm and happy and when he is happy, so am I. Also he always has interesting ideas and is very brave and-"  
"See! You are totally crushing on him. Case solved", Fauna suddenly interrupts him and a big smirk took the smile's place.  
 _WHAT! There is no way I have a crush on Gallus! He is just a friend. A good looking, charming, funny, interesting... I have a crush on... Shoot...  
_ His eyes turn wide and his mouth falls open as he finally realizes that the feelings he felt when he was near his friend, when his friend defended him and when he first met his friend were not just happiness or gladness, they were love and attraction.  
"So you finally realized it? Good! Now we can work on a way to tell him that!"  
"I can't tell him that. Especially not now! We just became friends again and I don't want to make it weird and uncomfortable for him to be around me, especially now! He needs my help with our exams and not with making his life even more confusing and frustrating. Also I don't think he... swings this way at all... But I still want to make him happy and, if that means to suppress my feeling that's fine by me. Friendship is also good... right?"  
 _Now that I know that I actually want more than that... Is it really enough?_ , he asks himself but something else captures his attention.  
Flora, who listened carefully to her new friend's explanation, begins to sniff and a few tears roll down her cheeks before wiping the off.  
"That is the saddest thing I have ever heard! And you want the flower to make him happy and to know that there is always something from you near him... How romantic and tragic! How tragmantic!"  
"That's not it! I just told you that I just want to give him those flowers because he liked them!", Sandbar tries to defend himself but something inside of him tells him that she wasn't that wrong.  
 _It is true that he will form a connection between the flower and me but... This was not the reason why I wanted to buy it! Right?  
_ She begins to cry even harder and blows her nose before leaving the stand for a few seconds to get the flower for Sandbar. After returning she puts the flower into a very beautiful light-green pot and hands it over to her friend, who opens his sack to pay.  
"No! This is a present from me for you and your friend", she explains after refusing the coins on the counter, "I don't want your money but I want you to tell him how you feel one day, okay?"  
Sandbar can't believe what he just heard!  
 _She wants me to have it for free! No... that is too kind... There is no way I can accept that!  
_ He shakes his head and pushes the coins even further towards her, causing Flora to look at them once more.  
"I really appreciate the gesture but I can't accept it... I can't accept a present like that from someone I barely know..."  
"Okay! Let's not call it a present. Let's call it a good-luck-charm I made for you and it would be very rude to refuse it now so take it and be happy with your griffon-boy or else...", Fauna twists Sandbar's own words and uses them against him with a big smile on her face.  
 _Wow... She is smart and very stubborn... And I don't have time to continue a debate I will lose anyway so I guess it's better to accept it  
_ He begins to giggle and puts the Bits back into his sack before admitting his defeat.  
"Okay, okay. You won Fauna", he declares his surrender and takes the flowerpot, "Thank you very much... for everything. I hope we will see each other again soon."  
"Of course we will! I want to congratulate you and Gallus when you two are finally a couple. There is no way I will miss out on that!"  
"IF we even become a couple, which we will not", Sandbar corrects her but she meant what she said.  
"You will get together... trust me. I have a sixth sense for things like that and I've never been wrong my entire life!"  
 _Someone is excited but maybe she is right... Maybe I should tell him how I really feel and maybe he feels the same way! And then I grow wings and a horn and I become the Princess of unlikely things... Keep dreaming, keep dreaming... Those little gestures and moments must be enough for me.  
_ "I should get going. Gallus could be back any second and I don't want him to see the flower yet. Thank you so much for your help and for listening and for the flower of course! It really helped! Bye"  
He runs off and looks back to see Fauna wave him goodbye.  
 _Better hurry or Gallus will catch me red hooved! Literally!  
_ Without wasting any second he crosses the bridge and reaches the basket. He carefully puts the pot next to the blanket and takes the bottles and empty boxes out of the basket so he can reorganize it.  
 _I have to make sure the pot and the flower don't get damaged when we home... Let's see  
_ The pony takes the pot and places it in the center of the basket and tries his best to work around it while packing together the bottles and the boxes. After reshuffling it about three times he finally succeeds and, to hide the new object, he covers the basket's opening with the picnic blanket.  
 _Looks normal... He shouldn't get suspicious.  
_ He sits down and waits for Gallus to return, which does not take very long. Only a minute later the griffon shows up, completely clean and freed from the twigs and leaves.  
"Shall we go?", the blue male asks and Sandbar agrees after taking the basket and placing it on his back. Gallus also takes his brown bag, places his ball inside it and hangs it around his shoulder.

They leave the meadow and cross the bridge, which leads them back to the market for the second, or third time in Sandbar's case. They try to get back to the fountain, where they landed before, and increase their speed but a voice they both know stops them.  
"Are you leaving? Hope you had a great day Sandbar and Gallus!"  
 _Fantastic... It's her,_ Gallus complains as he looks at the stand where the mare stands and waves, _I need to give it to her straight but not with him around... Maybe...  
_ He takes a quick look at the pony next to him to make sure he isn't looking right now. Luckily he is busy with waving at Fauna.  
"Oh no!", he shouts, which catches Sandbar's attention, "I think I forgot my little sack with bits..."  
He exaggerates with his tone, making him sound more like a damsel in distress than a guy who lost something but it seems to work perfectly.  
"Don't worry! I'll go back and look for it, okay? You stay here", Sandbar offers and, before Gallus can even accept his offer, he already ran off to get it.  
 _Finally... I hope you're ready for this!  
_ "Hey... ehm...", he shouts as he makes his way towards her, "Sorry, I forgot your name. What was it again?"  
He reaches the booth and stops in front of it.  
"No big deal. Fauna is my name and flowers are my game! Well... actually they are my goods but it doesn't sound nearly as good as game. Where is Sandbar?"  
"Oh he wanted to get something really quick but I want to know something. Are you from here?"  
"Me?", she asks while pointing her hoof at herself and Gallus nods, "Nonono, I'm not from Ponyville. I'm from Sire's Hollow but I come here sometimes to sell my flowers and other products. And where are you from?"  
 _Not from here? That's all I need to know_ , the griffon-male thinks to himself and a small grin appears on his face but he forces it to disappear while indicating the mare to get a bit closer so he can tell her what she wants to know.  
At least that's what he wants her to think.  
"That doesn't matter now. What matters is that, if you don't want to have a huge problem with me, you should stay away from Sandbar. Do you understand me?"  
The smile on the mare's face slowly melted away as she heard the griffon's words and now a blank expression decorates her face.  
"Do you understand?", Gallus repeats but Fauna still shows no real reaction to his questions so he decides to make it even more obvious what he wants. He pauses and takes a deep breath before getting even closer to the mare's face and whispers something.  
"Stay... away... from... Sandbar... Do you understand me? Stay away."  
Fauna stares at him and his face shows the scariest expression she ever saw in her entire life.  
"I...I...", the shaking mare stutters but she can't say anything.  
She met many jealous mares and stallions before but a jealous male griffon is at least ten times scarier. At least! So instead of answering she nods and that is Gallus's cue to leave. But before he leaves he shows her that he is always watching her by pointing two of his claws at his own eyes, then at her and then back again at his own eyes a few times. With that taken care of he turns around and goes back to where Sandbar told him to wait. It takes a bit longer than he expected but Sandbar finally returns, disappointed in his own failure.  
"Sorry... I couldn't find it", he admits but his friend cheers him up.  
"I actually found it", the griffon explains, "It was in my bag but in the wrong pocket. Still thanks for going back Sandy."  
 _Anything for you! Well... mostly anything,_ Sandbar thinks to himself as he enjoys the gratitude his friend showed him.  
They continue their way and reach the fountain, which still looks beautiful to look at.  
"Alright... Do you want to go from here or do you want to fly? I'm sure I can get us back in no time and maybe we can fly a bit higher this time if you want", the griffon asks but the decision was already made when they got here, at least for Sandbar.  
"I wouldn't mind to fly... As long as I can hold onto you like I did before. it helps me feeling safer."  
He looks at his friend with big eyes and trembling lips, almost resembling a little puppy who wants a home.  
 _Stop being so cute! You're making me go through hell with your adorableness!  
_ "Sure! I mean, if you want to. I don't mind it", Gallus replies and, after putting the basket into Sandbar's mouth, he repeats the procedure of this morning.  
"I hope you're ready because here...we...GO!"  
He flaps his wings as fast as he can and gains even more height that before. 30 feet... 40 feet... 50 feet!  
In the meantime, Fauna recovered from the sudden verbal attack and she watches the pony and her attacker taking off.  
 _Told ya Sandbar... My Gay-dar is never wrong. I wish you two the best of luck... and NEVER make him angry... He's scary..._

 _We're even higher than before! How high can we go? I really want to go as high as possible but not today. I have to watch out so I don't drop the basket or the flower is done for.  
_ The way to their school only takes a minute this time because Gallus flies a little bit faster than before. He can feel that Sandbar got used to it, at least a bit.  
"Look! There is the school! I'm going to land in front of the dorm so we don't have to walk", the pilot announces before descending carefully and landing right in front of the door.  
He lets go of his friend before touching the ground himself and folds his wings.  
"Let's go inside", the pony suggests and Gallus agrees with him, opening the door to let him inside first. They make their way to the first floor and stop in front of Sandbar's room, where their ways part for now.  
"Today was awesome Sandbar, the picnic was a great idea. I can still taste the griffon scones", Gallus compliments his friend, who blushes slightly and thanks him for coming.  
"I had so much fun with you. I hope we can repeat that."  
"How about tomorrow? I'm free and that way we can also study a bit for-", the griffon reveals his idea but the pony cuts him off.  
"Sorry... I'm very busy tomorrow but if you want we can do something together the day after tomorrow. But not too early, okay? Is 2 p.m. okay for you?"  
 _But... He promised me to study. Isn't that the reason why he wanted to be my tutor? And now he says he's busy tomorrow? I can't belie... No, no I have to respect that and be nice. I'm sure he has something very important to do and the day after tomorrow sounds not bad.  
_ Gallus's mind is running wild but he has no other choice but to accept his friend's wish.  
"Sure... no problem...", he replies, setting their meeting in stone that way.  
"Welp... I think I should get going... Today really wore me out. Good night-"  
"Wait!"  
The pony places his hoof on the griffon's back to stop his exit.  
"There is something I want you to have", he says before pulling away the picnic blanket and revealing the Aurora's Kiss, which causes Gallus to gasp in surprise and shock.  
"I...is that...", he stutters and Sandbar completes the sentence for him.  
"Yes! That is the Aurora's Kiss from the booth. You were so hypnotized by it so I bought it for you... I hope... you like it..."  
 _Like? Are you freaking kidding me! I... I love it! I don't know what to say! I... I have to repay him somehow, no matter how!  
_ The griffon's mind is filled with cheer and love for the flower and, even more, for his friend, who gave him this beautiful flower.  
"I... I don't know what to say... Here! Let me give you the Bits you paid fo-"  
"I don't want them. I don't want anything except for you to take it. Seeing you happy is already reward enough for me."  
This answer causes the griffon's face to turn as red as an apple and his body to heat up more than a bursting volcano. But he has to play it as cool as he can... which is still very excited.  
"Bu... I... O-okay...", he stutters again as he takes the pot into his claws and, without thinking about it, he hugs his friend as tight as he could, refusing to let him go ever again, "Thank you Sandy."  
 _This feels so... good... Wait! Oh No!  
_ Gallus realizes his actions pulls back again, freeing the pony from his prison-like hold. Sandbar stares at him with wide eyes and slightly red cheeks.  
 _That must have been so shocking and embarrassing for him...  
_ But, much to the griffon's surprise Sandbar returns the hug, but a shorter one, and wishes him a good night after that.  
"You're welcome Gallus. Good night and take care of the flower."  
"I will", the blue male response while taking a look at the red plant in his claw, "Good night."  
After their farewell the pony opens his door and enters it, closing it behind him and leaving Gallus in the corridor alone.

 _I can't believe I did this... But... he hugged me back! Maybe..._ , Gallus begins to interpret the pony's action but his explanation is too unlikely.  
He shakes his head and deletes the thought he created while he starts to walk back to his own room on the next floor, _There is no way that's true. He was just being nice like he is to everypony... But that means it works! We can get along when I act more like a pony and not like a griffon. would still have hugged him but if a different pony gave me the flower I would have most likely refused it or just took it without saying anything, like a real griffon. So being a pony really works out perfectly! Awesome! Then again, I was really mean to Fauna... Luckily Sandy wasn't there with me... Maybe I can act out my griffon-personality when he's not around! That should work, right? Ri- Ow!  
_ The sudden pain forces the griffon to stop his walk and rub his forehead while his mind tries to explain what happened.  
 _Are you serious! Someone must have bumped into me! Oh that pony will pay for-  
_ His inner voice stops as he looks in front of his face and notices the door to his room.  
 _I... It was my... door... Wow! Luckily no one saw that...  
_ He looks around to see if the hallway is still empty and luckily it is. After exhaling he opens his door and enters it.

 _I need to get some sleep... I'm tired... But first I need to get some water for the plant.  
_ Gallus places the pot on window seat, so it can get enough sunlight during the day, and takes the empty bottle he saw noticed earlier to fill it with water from the restroom. He hurries outside and returns after not even twenty seconds have passed by.  
"Here you go little buddy", he whispers while he carefully waters the little plant, "drink up and stay strong. You are very important to me, you know? My friend gave you to me."  
The griffon pauses after noticing that he, indeed, speaks to a flower right now.  
 _Wow... Speaking to a plant is a new low... But it feels nice to have someone to talk to... Maybe I should talk about my feelings...  
_ He looks at the plant and decides to go to sleep but maybe he will talk to it tomorrow but right now he is way too tired.  
He empties the bottle himself and places it next to the pot so he always has something to water it with. After that he puts down his bag next to his desk and drops onto his bed, face first.  
 _So... comfortable...,_ he fancies his soft bed as he slips under the blanket and lays his head on the pillow.  
"Good night buddy...", he whispers while already falling asleep, "Good night... Sandy..."  
Finally the griffon is in a deep sleep and his must be dreaming something good because a small smile decorates his face.


	8. A Visitor on a lazy Day

A sudden knock snatches the griffon-boy out of his very pleasant dream. He slowly opens his eyes to see what time it is but the intense sunlight, that shines through the window, blinds him immediately.  
 _Ow! That hurt! Why is it so bright outside!  
_ Without thinking about it he pulls his blanket over his face to shield himself from the luminous attacker.  
 _I'll just wait a bit and then I ca-  
_ The sound of something hitting his door interrupts his thought and it repeats itself again and again.  
"STOP KNOCKING AND COME IN FOR GRIFFON'S SAKE! THE DOOR IS NOT LOCKED!", the griffon's voice echoes through the entire room and the hallway in front of his door.  
And, much to his relief, the noise stops and is replaced by the sound of his door opening. He peaks from underneath his blanket to see who enters his room and is very surprised to see Smolder, his dragon friend, standing in the door frame.  
"I figured you would still be asleep. Have you seen Sandbar? Silverstream asked me to look for him since we are done with our study-session and she wanted to talk with him about something. I knocked on his door but he never answered", the bright-orange female asks the male, who is still hiding from the light.  
"No, why should I know? And what time is it?"  
Smolder closes the door and sits down on the chair, facing the griffon, who slowly exposes himself to the sunlight and begins to stretch his limps.  
She watches him as he finally gets up and walks to the flower on the window seat, which enjoys the warm sensation the sun gives it.  
"Second question first, 4 p.m. And for the first question, she heard that you two were together yesterday and since he offered to help you study I thought he would be here but", she looks around, "no Sandbar to be found, Do you know where he is?"  
"He said he would be busy today", Gallus explains as he faces the dragon, "so I guess he is busy today. Maybe he went to town to buy something or maybe he visits a friend. The only thing I know is that he is not here."  
He switches his view back to the red flower and takes the empty bottle next to it into his claw.  
"I'll be right back", he announces before leaving the room to get some water from the, again, empty restroom. He returns and walks straight up to the little pot to let the clear liquid shower the little plant. Without him noticing it, Smolder gets up from her seat and takes a closer look at the flower, which has little, glittering drops on it's petals.

"Where did you get that flower? Looks nice", the orange female asks which startles Gallus, who immediately turns to face her.  
"Oh... I..."  
 _I can't say that Sandbar gave it to me or... can I? I mean it's not weird for someone to give someone a flower... right? right!  
_ The choice between either telling her the truth or making up a story receives all the attention the griffon can offer, which causes him to just stare at the dragon in silence.  
"What? What is it?", the dragon tries to figure out why her friend acts so strange, "Did you buy it? Did someone give it to you?"  
"Yes!", the griffon almost shouts but that answer is not as helpful as Smolder hoped it would be.  
"So... Yes, I bought it or Yes, someone gave it to me?"  
 _Decide! Decide! You can do it!_ , Gallus's inner voice spurs him to tell her something and he finally makes up his mind.  
"Sandbar gave it to me yesterday when we came back", he clarifies his former answer and resolves the conflict they had.  
The dragon's gaze switches between the griffon's face and the little plant before she begins to smile.  
"That's nice. Must have been a good day for the both of you", she comments and Gallus nods.  
 _Silverstream was right. Sandbar and Gallus really found a way to work together! I knew he is just like me: Listening to stuff just won't do it. Looks like he will pass the exams without any problems. And the flower is a great motivation. Sandbar should consider a career as a teacher,_ the dragon applauds the pony's ways to encourage and teach her interlocutor.

"Good to see that you're doing alright. I should get going and tell Silverstream that I couldn't find him. And what are your plans for the rest of the day?"  
"I will eat something and then I will read some comics. And you?", Gallus asks as he lays back down on his bed and crosses his legs, slightly bobbing the hanging one.  
"I will watch the documentary again Ocellus and Silverstream got me. It's really entertaining and I'm actually learning stuff. Did you know that the six Pillars of Old Equestria were brought together by a pony named Stygian?"  
 _Looks like she really enjoys her study-sessions with the others and she learned fast! When we studied we only fought but now we are having a lot of fun... Funny how different we can be_ , Gallus begins to recall the first and only time he and Sandbar actually studied and the horrible turn it took.  
"How are you guys doing?"  
Smolder's question disturbs the griffon's memory and forces him to return to reality, unsure how to answer.  
 _Oh we only tried it once and it was horrible so we haven't tried it again. But everything else is great,_ he thinks of an answer he could never vocalize, especially not now!  
Instead he decides to lie to her, not a big lie but a lie nonetheless.  
"We're really getting along and having fun!"  
"Glad to hear that!", Smolder exclaims with a big smile on her face, "Let's hope it stays that way."  
She turns around and, before opening the door, she says goodbye to her friend.  
"See you guys later."  
Gallus, who waves goodbye, watches as the dragon leaves his room and closes the door as quiet as she can.

He grabs a comic book and starts to read it but he can't forget Smolder's expression when she told him about her study-session.  
 _She was so... happy. Why can they get along just fine but me and Sandbar only fight? Is something wrong with us? But when we're just hanging out it feels like I'm on cloud nine... It's strange: On one claw I'm scared that, even though I'm trying my best to be more like a pony, we will fight again but, on the other claw, I don't want it to end either. I really, really enjoy having Sandbar near me... But I guess there is no way to separate it. He wants to be my tutor and I agreed so I have to make sure that we don't fight never ever again once the time comes when we study again!  
_ He continues his comic but the rumbling of his stomach stops him and gives him the idea to get something to eat.  
 _I could really need some griffon scones and some apple juice...  
_ The griffon leaves his room and makes his way to the first floor but instead of leaving the building right away he decides to pay the room of his stallion friend a visit. Maybe Smolder was just not paying attention and he is actually there. He stops in front of the door and knocks on it. And, just like Smolder said, nopony answers.  
 _He must be somewhere else... No wonder we couldn't meet today_ , he thinks as he turns around to leave but something catches his attention, _Wait... what's that? I can swear that I hear something.  
_ And indeed there is a sound, nearly not audible, and it reminds him of a vacuum but quieter. He puts his ear against the wooden object separating the corridor and the pony's room and the sound grows a bit louder, still very quiet but at least a bit louder.  
 _Is he cleaning his room? That would explain why he can't hear me and why he couldn't hear Smolder. I better leave him alone for now. We'll meet each other tomorrow anyway.  
_ With those thoughts in mind he moves back from the door and makes way to the exit of the dorms, ready to get something to eat.


	9. The Griffon's New Clothes

The day after tomorrow Sandbar mentioned is finally here and, like the first time Gallus had to meet his friend, the griffon wakes up very early in the morning. The sun has already started it's journey for half an hour but the sky is still painted in the colors of orange and red, making it seem like it's burning all by itself. The blue male slowly opens his eyes and, before realizing that it is, indeed, time for their second, and hopefully better, study session, yawns before taking the open comic book, that lies on his chest.  
 _I must have fallen asleep yesterday... What a boring day...  
_ He marks the open page by putting one of his claws on it before taking a quick look at the cover and, much to his surprise and frustration, he remembers this cover very well.  
 _Seriously? I started this issue at least four times now and I'm still only halfway done with it? Since when am I such a slow reader?_  
This question is easily answered and Gallus knows that answer all to well.  
 _I can't concentrate... Every time I finish a page Sandy breaks into my mind and steals my concentration away and then I have no other choice but to think of him, ask myself what to do and worry about the next time we actually stu-  
_ He finally realizes what event is due today. His beak drops open and his pupils shrink in sizes to nothing more but little dots surrounded by a slim, blue ring in the middle of an ocean of white. In one quick motion he throws the comic away and jumps to his feet, asking himself all the while what time it could be.  
 _He said to meet him at 2 p.m.! What time is it? What time is it!  
_ His eyes scan the room like a passive infrared sensor, looking for everything that could tell him the time but, after noticing the color of the sky, his panic slowly begins to turn into relaxation and his pupils regain their usual size.  
 _It can't be that late so there is still time... But why am I even awake this early? That's nothing like me at all!  
_ He begins to question himself but, instead of finding answers, he brushes them off and decided that he went to bed early and that there is nothing strange about waking up early the next day.  
 _But what now? I can't go there yet and be like 'Heeeeeey look who's here!' That would be weird and what if Sandbar isn't awake? I would wake him up and that could lead to an uncomfortable atmosphere..._  
While being completely devoted to his thoughts he picks up the comic book, which now lies somewhere in the room far away from his bed, and places it back on the pile of colorful books next to his bed. His train of questions and answers stops when he sees his little flower bathing in the sun.  
"You must be thirty, right little guy? Let me get you some water."  
Gallus snatches the empty bottle and takes on his daily journey to the male restroom. Except this time the hallway isn't empty! A few other students are also already awake and are preparing themselves for the day. He notices a pale-red coated earth stallion with a long, dark-gray, frizzy and currently wet mane and tail trying his best to tame it with a comb, which does not look very easy, and a peach-colored coated pegasus stallion who is busy brushing his teeth. He tries his best to ignore them and fills up his bottle with some cold water from the faucet but his patience gets tested as hears the other two males whispering something. Suddenly the pale-red stallion tries to start a conversation with him.  
"Gallus was it, right?", the pony asks, " The water is getting into my eye. Can you give me my face towel? It's right next to you."  
The griffon takes a look to his right and sees the white piece of fabric hanging on a hook.  
"Better idea: Get it yourself. I have better things to do", the griffon replies after giving the stallion a fear-inducing look,  
With that he seals the now full bottle and leaves the restroom without looking back even once.  
"I told you he wouldn't do it", the pegasus states after spitting out the remaining mixture of saliva and toothpaste, "He's a griffon and griffons only do stuff for money or other goods. So if you don't offer him something he won't even look at you."  
"How did he even end up here? And why is he still here! This school is for ponies and creatures who are able to adapt and he doesn't even try."  
Furious about the blue male's behavior the earth pony increase the force he uses to brush his mane but he stops as he feels something on his head. It's his towel.  
"Here", the pegasus says before getting back to his own morning routine and the other male thanks him with a smile.  
"Thanks dude. At least I can count on ponies like you."

Gallus, who already returned to his room, is busy with watering his flower as his stomach begins to talk to him, at least that's what it sounds like to him.  
 _Okay, okay! I will get something to eat. Just let me finish and then I'll get something to eat.  
_ This thought seems to please his belly as the sound begins to get quieter and quieter until it falls silent completely. He empties the bottle completely and puts it back next to the pot before getting ready to eat something. Again he grabs his little sack and hangs it around his neck so he is able to buy something in the cafeteria.  
 _Time for a snack_ , the griffon already looks forward to his future meal as he leaves his room and makes his way down the stairs and out of the dorm building.  
He is already halfway to the school but something, or better said somepony, notices him and asks for his attention.  
"Oh Gallus, darling! Good to see you! I'm terribly sorry to bother you with something like that but do you mind delivering this package for me?"  
The white unicorn trots towards the griffon and she seems to be stressed.  
 _Miss Rarity? What is she doing here and what package is she talking about?_ , Gallus asks himself as he watches his teacher levitate something out of her pale-pink saddlebag, which has a blue diamond on it, just like her Cutie Mark, serving as a button to close and open it.  
"I was on my way to the cafeteria...", he begins to find an excuse but his teacher interrupts him almost immediately.  
"I understand completely. It's just", she begins to explain, "Sandbar asked me for something and I promised him to give it to him as soon as I can but I'm very stressed out and I don't have the time to search all the rooms to find his and Twilight is also not here to help me and"  
Rarity is back in her own element: talking and being a drama-queen but Gallus already stopped listening to her. He stopped after hearing his pony-friend's name and that the floating, blueish-glowing package is meant for him.  
 _A package for Sandy? Hmmmm... I could use that as an excuse to go there early! What a coincidence or is it fate? Naaaaaah, it's a coincidence but I won't complain, it benefits me after all.  
_ A big grin builds itself up on Gallus's face but it gets replaced with a confused expression as he realizes that his teacher is still talking.  
 _Has she been talking the entire time? What is she even talking about?  
_ He turns his attention back to Rarity, who is still busy with excusing herself from taking the package to Sandbar herself.  
"Usually Spike or Starlight would help me with something like that but I can't find them anywhere and then I saw you. I remembered that you brought him the blanket and I thought that it would be very generous and very nice of you to bring this to him too but if you're busy I understand that completely Darling. I'm sure I will find his room so go ahead and eat something."  
The unicorn begins to levitate the light-beige package back into her saddlebag but Gallus sudden protest stops her motion as she stares at him with surprise written on her face.  
"I can take care of it for you and give it to Sandy- Sandbar! I'm not that hungry anyway", the blue male reasons his decision but his stomach does not seem to agree with his idea as it begins to growl even louder than before.  
 _Shut up and don't ruin this for me or I'll eat one of those disgusting cookies_ _ **whole** __!  
_ The threat fulfills its purpose as it shuts up the annoying organ completely so he can continue his offer.  
"And I'm sure your timetable is already filled to it's brim with work and the creation of the exams. So just leave it to me and I will take care of it immediately!"  
Suddenly a bright light blinds the griffon for a brief moment but the effect wears off quickly.  
 _Wow! What was that! That was like staring at the sun during a solar eclipse_ , he thinks but immediately after thinking that he identifies the light's source. It is Miss Rarity herself! Her face literally glows with happiness and joy!  
"Really? Oh Thank you so much Darling!", she almost shouts as uses her magic to let the average sized package float right in front of the male's beak, who stares at it, "I knew i could count on you! Thank you so much! I owe you something but nothing concerning your grades or the exam and nothing that could ruin our teacher-student-relationship but anything else."  
Gallus nods and takes the package in his claw so he can clutch it between his chest and his arm to protect it. Miss Rarity, who gives him an approving nod, tells him to give Sandbar her regards before they depart and Gallus turns around to visit his friend and to fulfill his mission.  
 _Time to see Sandy! ... Oh! And time to give him his package!_  
Priorities, am I right?

With a big smile on his face he returns to the dorm and revisits his friend's door but something stops him from knocking on it the moment he reached it.  
 _Is that... Is he still vacuuming or what? I didn't took him for being a cleaning maniac and I'm pretty sure he isn't one. He is way too calm when coming in contact with dirt or dust but maybe he spilled something or dropped something. Maybe I should come back later... Naaaaaaah!  
_ He knocks on the door but, just like last time, no one answers him and the other two attempts are also fruitless.  
 _Come on! I basically hammered against the door. It is actually surprising that this thing is still one piece and not already smashed to pieces.  
_ After trying it one more time he challenges his luck and checks the door handle. Much to his surprise it works and the door begins to retreat and offers the griffon a crack to look inside the room.  
 _Why is it so dark in there? And... is that Sandbar at his desk? It doesn't look like he's cleaning anything at all but something must be going on. The noise got louder too. But... should I really just enter? It would be rude but I promised Miss Rarity to deliver the package so it should be okay.  
_ After making up his mind the blue male opens the door wide enough to pass it and then closes it behind him, which also seals up one of the main light sources the room had offered. A few beams of sunshine enter the room through the, by curtains partially covered, window and a brighter light is coming from Sandbar himself. Or more likely something in front of him. The griffon slowly comes closer to his friend, who has not noticed him yet and who is still facing away from him.  
"Sandy? I came by to give you something from Miss Rarity", he tries his best to get his friend to react but without any success.  
"Do you want me to put it here? On the floor? On your bed?"  
And again an answer is nowhere to be heard or seen. No words, no sounds and no sign or gesture. Instead the noise, that seems to get louder and louder, fills his ears and tortures his eardrums without any sign of mercy. Gallus, who can't take it anymore, places the package on the pony's bed and, from that position, takes a quick glance at the desk.  
 _Is that... a sewing machine and a lamp?  
_ His beak drops open as he eyeballs the machine in front of Sandbar's face as if he expects it to suddenly disappear like a mirage but no matter for how long he stares at it, the machine stays.  
 _What is he doing with that machine? Wait? Is that what has been causing this deafening sound all this time so Sandy couldn't hear me or Smolder?  
_ Without thinking about it the griffon-boy comes closer until he stands right next to Sandbar, who is still sitting on his chair fully concentrated on the piece of electronic in front of him.  
 _Looks like he is sewing something... Wow, really? That was obvious from the start! Why did I even ask myself that? WHAT is he sewing is the real question!  
_ Interested in the pony's activity he tries to figure out what he is currently working on but the piece of fabric is not very helpful. Instead of focusing on that, he tries to understand the drawings and sketches he notices on little papers all over the table. He notices a figure that could resemble Yona and one that could be either Ocellus or Silverstream but one drawing really stands out to him.  
 _Is that me?,_ the blue male asks as he stares at a little piece of paper that got taped to the wall with sticky tape.  
It shows a pretty good drawing of a winged creature with a beak and a tail and a few numbers next to it.  
"What's that?", Gallus mumbles very quietly but, because he is very close to the pony's ear, his voice is still audible and unmistakably his voice.  
This sudden input finally cracks Sandbar's concentration and he stops his work while giving a little screech as he turns his head and notice his griffon-friend next to him,

 _G-G-Gallus! What is he doing here! How did he even get in here! What is going on!  
_ His brain is snowed under with work! All those thoughts and feelings and question fill it up rather quickly and he has no time to decode and make useful information out of them again so he just begins to talk nonsense.  
"Gallus! What are you got in here? How did you doing here?"  
He notices that his friend is still staring at something and he knows exactly what it is so in one quick movement he rips the sketch from the wall and hides under his hoof, which he puts directly on it.  
"What was that?", Gallus asks but Sandbar immediately tries to skip the question to get to a new topic.  
"A nice day we're having! We should go out and do something, right? Come!"  
With a big and obvious fake smile Sandbar jumps to his hooves and makes his way to the door. That's the moment he also finally realizes how his friend even got into the room in the first place.  
 _Oh... I must have forgotten to lock the door after coming back from the restroom a few hours ago. I was way to concentrated on my project and didn't notice it...  
_ He stops for a moment but, after hesitating for a second, he continues his way out of the room but Gallus does not follow him.  
Instead of that he is more interested in that piece of paper he mentioned before. He quickly grabs it and takes a closer look. It is little bit more crumbled-up than before but, just as he expected, there is no doubt that it shows the drawing of a griffon.  
"Not in the mood. Why don't you tell me about this and this and that.", he suggests as he points at the little sketch, the dark-gray fabric, which is still stuck in the sewing machine, and the machine itself.  
 _I'd rather... not_ , Sandbar admits to himself as he slowly comes back to his former place, his smile slowly disappearing from his face as he gets closer to his guilty pleasure.  
"Well...", he tries to explain, "It's a sewing machine and that's some cashmere."  
 _Nice save me!  
_ But that is not what his griffon-friend meant and he makes it more clear by rephrasing it.  
"Okay, okay. Very funny Sandy but seriously. What is all this stuff? Why do you have it? And why is there a picture of a griffon, either a Changeling or a hippogriff and a yak?"  
 _Not a nice save me... And what now? Tell him the truth? I love sewing and making clothes. It's so much fun! Yeah, right...  
_ His brain is not really helping him. Instead of that it is making it even worse!  
 _I guess I have no choice but still... I'm sure he'll think it's stupid...  
_ "I... like to make clothes...", the stallion whispers but his buddy is not sure what he just said.  
 _I mumble mumble mumble? What does that mean?_ , he asks himself before requesting a repetition.  
"Fine, fine... I like to make clothes. I know it's lame but I think what Miss Rarity taught can be really relaxing and-", but he can't finish his sentence before the sudden raise of the griffons voice startles him.  
"Wait!"  
He takes a closer look at the fabric and notices a few pretty neat, darker embroideries on the fabric that resemble feathers and clouds.  
"Is THAT what Miss Rarity is teaching us? I thought she only wanted to bore us to death and annoy us with some lame techniques to make boring fabric less boring but that is awesome! Did you do that all by yourself?"  
His fascination is practically written on his face in form of his wide eyes, his open beak and the way he investigates the dark piece of cashmere.  
"Erm... Yes, I did. It's was pretty difficult at first but I'm almost done with this one actually. Once you get the hang of it, it's actually pretty easy."  
 _No way! That looks like something a professional Dude... what are they called? Fashion makers? Clotherers or something like that? Doesn't matter. It looks so good!  
_ The griffon's mind is being flooded by excitement, astonishment, a little bit of jealousy but mostly by his own interest and a burning ambition to try it too.  
"How did you do that? Did you just start and then it went without any problems?"  
"What!", Sandbar asks with a little laughter in his voice, making it jump a bit, as he takes a closer look at his own work, "No, no, no. I trained on a few scraps of fabric Miss Rarity gave to me when I asked her about something to practice with. After that I began to get better and then I finally tried to do my first piece of clothing. I think it should be somewhere in my closet. Do you want to see it?"  
As if Sandbar's fear and worries were just blown away by his friends unexpected interest and excitement, he is more confident in his own passion and his own ability.  
"Sure!", Gallus answers with a cheer before Sandbar opens his closet and takes out a little box with different kind of fabrics in it.  
"What are those?", the griffon asks and Sandbar explains to him that these are his first few attempts and that they were meant to be socks but some of them turned out like something entirely different like a glove, a little ball or just a huge disaster but it still helped him a lot.  
"As you can see... I wasn't that good when I started but I tried it again and again and watched movies or read books about it and now I'm making", the pony explains the way he took from the start of his little to now and points at the unfinished business he was working on, "that."  
"What is that suppose to be when it's finished?"  
 _He really seems to be interested! Never thought I would have to say it but I guess Gallus is a fasion-griffon. Unexpected but very welcome!"  
_ "Oh", Sandbar lets out a small sound before staying silent until Gallus presses the topic more and more.  
"Come on! Tell me about it! Come on Sandy!"  
And his stubbornness bears fruit because his pony-friend finally surrenders and admits what he was doing with a burning-red face.  
"Well... I thought about starting a little line for our friends. You know... Yona, Ocellus, Silverstream, Smolder... you... And this is my first project. It will be a suit jacket for... you."  
 _For me?  
_ Gallus turns his attention away from Sandbar to look at the in-progress jacket, which he really likes.  
"So that's what this drawing of me was for. So you could use it as a reference...", Gallus mumbles but his mind is not wasting his time with the drawing.  
It has something else in store.  
 _He made that for me? I never thought about that one can make something with that for someone else... Maybe I could..._  
He is lost in his thoughts and the idea he is creating. So lost that he doesn't notice Sandbar, who is still rummaging in his little box while speaking to himself.  
"I totally forgot about that one... Or that... What was that even?"  
The room is silent besides the stallion's mumbling until a loud voice interrupts the silence.  
"Can you show me how it works?", the griffon-boy suddenly asks, causing his friend to drop one of the results of his former attempts.

 _WHAT? Did I understood him right? He wants me to show him the ropes?  
_ This sudden request really keeps his brain busy but there is no time to think about it now! Gallus really wants to know how it works and Sandbar is pretty sure that he won't accept a no (not that he would have said no)  
"Are you sure?", Sandbar asks, "It's not that interesting once you spend a lot of time with it and some parts can be really difficult. Also... I'm not sure how good I am with explaining stuff like that and the whole theory-part..."  
"Sure I'm sure! And, to be honest, I don't really care about the facts, the history of needles or anything like that. The classes with Miss Rarity were filled with that stuff and it was so boring. Why don't you just work on the jacket and I will watch you. If I have questions, I will ask them and if don't then I won't. How about that?"  
 _Yep... Now it's set in stone. He hates listening to boring tutorials or theory but without the theory he can't set anything in action. Maybe his idea can really work out if I show him all the steps and how everything works. And maybe he will listen to some things I explain to him during my own work.  
_ Every little aspect is traveling through Sandbar's mind and it all fits together perfectly!  
"That could work...", he mumbles while still being in thoughts but that's all Gallus wanted to hear and, with a cheer, he celebrates his friend's decision.  
"Awesome!"  
He runs to the bed, takes the package and holds it towards Sandbar with a smile on his face.  
"Now open the package and get it over with so you can continue your work."  
"For me? From who?", the stallion asks as he surveys the package puzzled.  
 _Oh yeah... He wasn't listening before_ , Gallus thinks to himself with a little giggle.  
"Miss Rarity gave it to me to give it to you. So now open it and get it over with so you can go back to work."  
"Actually", the pale lime-green male answers, "the things in the package are for my work . A bit more cashmere and a few little additions to make it look more interesting and one-of-a-kind."  
The pony takes the box and places it on the floor before asking his friend to open it for him.  
"It's easier with claws...", he justifies his request but Gallus does not seem to care about why he wants him to do it because the second he said his words the package is already ripped open and the content is visible.  
Some more dark fabric and a few little things like small, most likely fake gems, thread in different colors and different kinds of patches and many more additions can be seen in the box and, almost instantly, Sandbar takes the box into his hoof and places it on his back so he can carry it back to his machine and Gallus follows him.  
"Look. This is where I put the thread so I can work on the fabric and secure buttons or sew different pieces of fabric together", he begins to explain as he shows him how to put the thread he needs, a black one, where it belongs to it can work, "and when that's done you place your fabric underneath the needle and turn the machine on but you have to be careful. If you turn on the machine and you forget to turn off the needle last time the needle will start sewing without warning and that can either ruin your work, damage the fabric or, even worse, you could hurt yourself."  
"Did that ever happen to you?", the griffon asks as he watches his friend prepare the machine with a burning curiosity.  
"Once or twice maybe. The first time I tried this on my own I forgot it and when I started the machine again i almost pierced my hoof but I was fast enough and pulled it away."  
 _He was that fast? He never really looks that fast in gym when I'm watching him_ , the blue male thinks to himself as he eyes his friend with clear doubt in his eyes.  
Sandbar seems to notice that and begins to giggle.  
"What's so funny?"  
"Your face just now. You looked at me as if I just told you something totally unbelievable. I know I'm not the fastest but you can't imagine what effect fear and adrenaline can have."  
"That sounds more like you. Fear is exactly the word I associate with you."  
"You know", Sandbar replies with a devilish smile on his face, "I don't have to show you how it works."  
That comment fulfilled it's purpose as the griffon's pupils gained twice their usual size as he stares at his friend, who returns his look with a cold one.  
 _Oh... He is being serious!  
_ "What?! I was just kidding Sandy! I really want to watch you.", Gallus begins to wail as he realizes his friend's threat and that he is willing to put it in action.  
"If you really mean it, apologize to me."  
 _Oh no... Not that again! He knows that this is my weakness!  
_ Gallus notices the smirk on his friend's face before it disappeared only a second later.  
 _He is doing that on purpose... But if he wants an apology I will give him one he will never forget!_  
He thinks for a few seconds before he drops to his knees and begins to whine and exclaim how much he regrets his words as over-the-top as possible.  
"How could I have been so blind as to hurt such a good friend! I should be ashamed of myself and all the deeds I did and all the crimes I committed! The regret I feel can not describe-"  
Before he could even finish his little act a roaring laugh interrupts him. Sandbar couldn't take it anymore as tears began to form in his eyes and, finally, a chuckle escape his mouth which turned into a joyful laugh.  
"Please! No more!", he begs for mercy but Gallus enjoys this way too much to stop.  
He continues his ham and even begins to use his arms and claws to support his bad acting. The stallion's laugh grows louder and louder as tears make their way across his cheeks and his stomach begins to hurt a bit.  
"Okay okay! I forgive you but please stop! That's just too much for me to handle!", he finally accepts his friend's apology, who stands up again and also begins to laugh chuckle with a big grin on his face.  
"Am I the master of apologies of am I not?", he asks with a sarcastic tone and Sandbar agrees in a manner similar to his.  
"There is no one who can apologize like you, that's for sure."  
"So", the blue male adds to his question, "Will you show me how it works now or do I have to apologize again?"  
Another big grin forms on the griffon's face as Sandbar fulfills his request of showing him everything he wants to know.  
They spend many hours together in the pony's room before they decide to get something to eat. Right after the meal they return and the private lesson continues. From time to time Gallus attention drifts away from the machine to his friend's face, who seems to be focused on his work but once in a while he also shoots a quick look towards his friend, causing him to startle before focusing back on the machine with a slightly reddish face.

After two more hours of work Sandbar finally finishes his masterpiece and, with a proud expression on his face, he shows it to his friend.  
"I did it! It's done! Look!"  
Gallus investigates the finished piece of fabric.  
 _It looks even better than it did before!  
_ The embroideries are more faint now but they make the entire thing look more interesting and unique. Some small white gems are decorating the shoulders parts and a a few darker gems, almost the color of coal, a forming a line from the collar to the bottom opening, getting interrupted by the buttons every time they come across one of those. There are 7 black buttons to button it up. The sleeves are also decorated with very faint embroideries.  
 _That looks so awesome! I can't believe he did all that with that machine.  
_ The griffon begins to fancy the little machine but his thoughts are being put to sleep by the voice of his friend.  
"Could you try it on? I really wanna see how it looks like and if it even fits. Please!"  
"Now? S-Sure, I guess", Gallus answers as he begins to unbutton the jacket.  
 _I hope it fits... I really hope it fits!,_ Sandbar repeats over and over again in his mind as he feels his heartbeat increasing massively, _I really tried my best to get all the numbers right so please fit!  
_ It doesn't take him very long to put it on and, not really surprising for him, it fits. Not a perfect fit and surely not as good as a second skin but it does not get in the way, it's very comfortable and he really likes the contrast between his claws and the fabric. All in all: He would wear it again when he gets the chance.  
"It feels good. It doesn't scratch and it's neither too tight nor not tight enough. Good job."  
"Really?", he pony asks but he already knows that his friend told the truth.  
His friend's kind words took a load off his mind and he lets out a sigh of relief, "Good to hear. I really thought I messed up your measurement but luckily I didn't."  
He closes his eyes and places a hoof on his breast, hearing his heart beating faster than usually, as a smile decorates his equine face. But his friend's voice makes that disappear again.  
"I can't really see everything. How do I look Sandy?"  
Gallus tries to take a better look at himself but he can't see everything perfectly so he has to rely on his pal, who only stares at him with wide eyes.  
 _You... You look amazing! The dark colors really make your feathers glow like the sun in comparison to it and the shape your upper body has in this jacket is really good. So... handsome...  
_ Compliment after compliment runs through his head as if it were a fabric producing them on conveyor belts but every single one becomes more intense than the last one and that is clearly visible as the reddish color in his face increases according to it.  
"I...You...It looks...", he stammers as he inspects every single inch of his friend's body as he turns to the left and the right to give him a better look.  
"It looks really good on you!", the pony suddenly exclaims in one quick sentence but still easy enough to understand each and every single word.  
"Really?", Gallus replies before trying to get a better look of himself again. Still not sure about his own look he begins to unbutton the beautiful piece of clothing to give it back to Sandbar but many different thoughts fly through his brain while doing so.  
 _He had a really hard time talking at first, was it that bad? Or maybe it was that good! He really liked it or was he just being nice because we are friends? No... He promised me to always say what's on his mind... Right? I like it though...  
_ That little monologue goes on for a few seconds but his conclusion is that his friend really liked it and that makes him very happy because he loves that jacket almost as much as his flower.  
He hands the clothing over to his friend but he denies his attempt and pushes it back into his claws.  
"It's yours, remember? I made it for you so you should keep it. I mean... if you even want to ke-"  
"Really? Of course I want to! Thank you Sandy, you are the best!", he says before giving him a big hug which, much to his surprise, doesn't feel nearly as strange as their last one. Most likely because Sandy instantly answers that hug and also holds him tight. But, after what felt like an millennium, he releases his friend, who smiles at him before returning his attention back to the machine.  
"I think I will finish the other pieces during the break and the next semester so..."  
He switches his field of view to the griffon, who is currently placing the piece of clothe on the bed, before continuing.  
"Do you want to sew something? Nothing big or complicated and you can do anything you want. Also, unlike class, here you have no rules and formal settings keeping you down. It's really fun and since you liked watching me, why don't you give it a shot."  
 _I did enjoy watching him and it does sound not bad to just try it for the fun of it but I never really liked it in class with all those rules and tasks and Miss Rarity looking over my shoulders like those guards in Griffonstone.  
_ Gallus looks at his friend, who gives him a comforting smile, and then proceeds to stare at the machine in front of him, deciding to either give it a shot or refuse the offer. Another look at his friend, especially his friend's eyes, eases his decision immensely. Sandbar is staring at the other male with puppy-like eyes, glittering and sparkling in the light of the room's bulb.  
 _I can't say no to those eyes..._ , Gallus admits and, with a soft smile, he sighs in defeat and gives into his friend's wish.  
"Sure", he answers, "As long as I can do what I want I don't mind."  
"Awesome! You should know the basics and if you need any help just ask me. I can take a look at your stuff from time to time if you want."  
 _I know that he won't accept my offer but there is no harm in aski-  
_ "T...Thanks. I'll come back to that in case I need it", the griffon answers with a forced smile but that's not what throws Sandbar off his track. It's the fact that he actually agreed!  
 _What! I... Since when... Why is he so... I am totally confused but at least he let me help so I should be happy. But it is still strange...  
_ Sandbar shows a small smile as Gallus just nods but his mind is going crazy.  
 _I really wanted to say no but a pony would have said yes so... I guess it won't hurt..._

With that little situation finally settled the two males takes their position. Gallus takes his place on Sandbar's old seat as Sandbar gets a piece of reddish cotton and another piece of white felt, two very basic and simple fabrics. After placing the two pieces next to his friend he lays on his bed, ready to assist his friend whenever needed. Gallus turns on the machine and begins to try something and to get a feeling for the fabrics and, after making his first few moves, he notices that this is not such a bad feeling to whatever he wants with such a machine. He faces a few problems but, instead of asking his friend for his help, he takes a different approach and is able to solve them quickly on his own. No matter how much he tries to be like a pony, there are some things he can't change that easily.  
"How is it going? Can I help?", the stallion asks from time to time but the answer is always the same.  
"No, I'm good."  
 _I think I'm actually getting the hang of it! I can't believe how hard and boring Miss Rarity made it seem to be. It's actually pretty rad!  
_ Without his friend noticing it Sandbar takes a peek over the feather-covered male's shoulder and investigates his work.  
 _That's... really bad but it's his first time trying it so it's not surprising_ , he draws his focus away from the pieces of fabric and rests it on Gallus, who seems to be concentrated on his actions, _Looks like he's enjoying it. I could watch him all day long...  
_ Suddenly the griffon moves his eyes away from the machine and pierces Sandbar with his look, who acts like nothing happened and just smiles nervously.  
 _Was he checking me out? Or was he just checking on this... thing? Maybe my mind is just playing tricks on me but I could swear I noticed him starring at me... Must be wishful thinking._  
He gives a quick smirk before returning to his work with a soft smile on his beak. Sandbar also relaxes again and enjoys the view he is having from his bed.

Hours go by in which Gallus tries and tries different techniques on many types of fabric before taking a quick break to eat and drink something at the cafeteria. After a short meal they return to Sandbar's room and take their former places for the rest of the day until the full-moon reaches the center of the sky above, leaving half of it's way already behind it.  
Gallus turns off the machine and says goodbye to his friend, who begins to fall asleep.  
"Thanks for letting me try it. It was... okay."  
"If you want you can come back tomorrow and try out more things. I don't mind."  
 _One more day with my favorite stallion? Hell YEAH! And I am curious what else I could try with that machine...  
_ Gallus smiles while nodding in response to that offer.  
"Sounds neat. I'll come after lunch, so 3pm if that's alright with you."  
 _Perfect! That way I can prepare a few things for him so he can try anything he want! And I will be here too in case he wants to try- Okay, okay. You had your fun brain but let's be realistic. Watching him all day long will be enough for me._  
His equine friend agrees to his idea and they wish each other a good night. The griffon takes his new piece of clothing and leaves the room.

 **[Sandbar's Part]**  
As soon as the door closes again, Sandbar shows his excitement and how happy it made him feel to see his friend so invested in his hobby and, especially, how much he enjoyed the jacket he made for him. He throws himself on his bed and covers his burning-red face with his pillow while being totally trapped in his thoughts.  
 _There is that feeling again. Like a volcano erupting in my stomach, making lava flowing through my veins and heating up my entire body. I love this feeling and... I am sure I love him. It's really obvious now how much I really care for him... I really need to teach him something or else he will fail his tests... I know that he will manage to pass the Generosity-part of the exam but how can I teach him sewing and fashion design without teaching him any-  
_ His train of thoughts suddenly stops as his realizes something. He pulls the pillow away from his face and his eyes seem to be glued to his table or, more precisely, Gallus' "fashion-objects".  
 _That... that could work! He can teach himself just like he did today! That's perfect but it feels weird tricking him like that..._  
He scraps that idea but it quickly returns with a seasoning of guilt and the feeling of helping his friend as the desert, convincing him easily. He sighs as his view fades away into darkness and his body begins to feel heavy and numb. His consciousness turns itself of and the land of slumber welcomes him and his last thought with open arms.

 **[Gallus' Part]**  
He closes the door and begins his way back to his own room but the only thing he can really pay attention to is the feeling in his claws, which felt the vibration of the machine, and the beating of his heart every time the jacket, that he carries on his back, comes to his mind.  
 _I still can't believe that Sandbar made this just for me! He is so thoughtful and really talented. I can't wait to see him tomorrow! And... messing around with the machine was fun too so I don't mind doing more of that too.  
_ He slowly walks up the empty staircase until he reaches the empty hallway of the second floor.  
 _Looks like everyone else is already in their rooms... How late is it?  
_ He takes a look out of a window and notices the glowing orbit surrounded by little sparkling dots.  
 _Very late i guess... No wonder I feel so heavy...  
_ Lucky for him his room is not far and he manages to enter it and reach his bed before collapsing. His eyes begin to shut themselves but one sudden realization forces them open.  
 _My flower! I forgot to water it the entire day! It must be starving.  
_ The griffon jumps onto his feet, causing the jacket on his back to slide down and land next to him on the bed, and rushes out of his room holding a bottle tightly in his mouth. He runs into the restroom and fills it with water before returning to his room to give his plant-friend the sweet sensation of water it so needs.  
 _"_ Sorry for the wait", he whispers without noticing it, "I really had an amazing day and I guess I forgot about you. I learned something no one else knows about Sandy and he even gave me that amazing jacket! It felt so good to hear that it suits me though it's possible he just tried to be nice but I really think he liked it. I even tried sewing myself and it isn't as bad as I thought or as Miss Rarity made it sound and seem like and tomorrow I will see him again. Don't worry little buddy, I won't forget about you tomorrow.  
He stares at the flower for a few more second and watches the earth consuming the liquid he just purred onto it before finally noticing what he just did.  
 _Did... Did I just talk to a plant? Wow... I am officially nuts but I must admit... It felt really nice to talk to someone about everything..._  
His eyes never broke contact with the beautiful flower during his little realization and a small smile shows that he doesn't mind being nuts as long as he can talk to someone... even if that someone is just flower. He leaves the plant's side and lays on his bed.  
"Good night...", the male whispers while covering himself with the soft blanket.  
Almost immediately he falls asleep.


	10. A Night to Remember

The days go by as if they only consist of three hours and not twenty four and so only three more days remain before the first exams, Miss Rarity's and Fluttershy's, take place. Every day since Sandbar's little confession the two spend together either being in his room or being outside and just having fun. They rarely talk about the exams, mostly because Sandbar dodges this question every single time so Gallus refrained from asking about that anymore. Today Sandbar has something really special prepared for him. Right after lunch the two males return to Sandbar's room so Gallus can continue his work he started the day before but before he gets the chance to get inside his equine friend stops him in front of his door. **  
**"Wait", he says as he places his hoof in front of the griffon's chest to block his way, "I need to prepared something first." **  
**He unlocks the door and quickly whizzes into his room, leaving Gallus in the hallways. He waits patiently but it feels a bit weird to stand in front of his door for what feels like an eternity (only three minutes). Suddenly the door opens again and Sandbar lets his friend inside with a faint smile on his face. The griffon enters and instantly notices some new fabrics and other objects like gemstones, buttons and patches laying on the desk. He stops in place and stares at them as his jaw dropped and Sandbar's voice rings out behind him. **  
**"I thought you might want to try something new today so I got them from Miss Rarity."  
The two males walk closer to the table so Sandbar can continue his explanation while showing his friend all the different additions to his repertoire.  
"It can get boring doing the same things over and over again so I thought you could switch it up a bit. The gemstones are really hard to work with but I'm sure you can do it and watch out for the zipper. I once attached one upside down and it ruined the jacket. It worked but it looked really weird and was very uncomfortable to wear. The rest is pretty simp-"  
His voice dies as he opens his mouth wider to let out a yawn.  
 _That came... out of nowhere. He does look a bit tired today... His eyes seem a little big baggy too but I don't think I should mention it... Not the best topic to talk about.  
_ "Sorry. The rest is pretty simple", the teal-colored pony apologizes as he repeats his last sentence and actually finishes it this time.  
Gallus can't believe how much effort his friend went through but he tries to brush it off as another pony-thing even though it.  
 _He would have done that for Yona or Smolder too...right? Of course! Don't get the wrong impression! He is a pony and that's what ponies would do for every friend. Still feels awesome though, can't deny that. I can't believe how much trouble he went through... That explains why he was late today for lunch and why he's tired. Must have woken up pretty early today.  
_ "That's really cool! Thanks Sandy", the blue male shows his gratitude and Sandbar, who begins to blush slightly, accepts it with open arms, literally.  
This time he is the one going for a friendly hug and this sudden approach catches the griffon off-guard. He feels his friend's arms around his neck, his hooves on his back and the tickling feeling of his teal-colored mane as the heat runs though their bodies. Any physical contact between them, no matter how small or unimportant it may seem to others, is a chance to fulfill their urges for the moment. They both know damn well that they can't lose control and ruin the friendship they rebuild by doing or saying something wrong. That's why those short moments are the most significant for them.  
 _So... good..._ , their brains rave synchronized before the short reunion of bodies comes to an end.  
The remain silent as each of them takes their old position: Sandbar on the bed and Gallus in front of the machine surrounded by his new possibilities.  
 _Let's see... What could I try today?_ , the griffon-boy asks himself as he takes a closer look at all the stuff on the table.  
A few patches in blue, green and pink catch his attention and he soon begins to sew them together with a pattern in his mind,  
 _Blue, red, green, red, blue, red..._ , and after an hour or so he finishes something that could be used as a scarf or maybe a very long tie.  
A strong feeling of joy fills his heart and especially the part of it filled with pride.  
 _Not bad, not bad Gallus. And the colors are also great! Blue, red and g...green...,_ his mind stops for a second as it puts the pieces together and a blush invades his face, _blue like me, green like Sandy and red like a h...heart? Was that why I choose them?! Ahhh! Even random stuff is now no longer random, great!_

"That doesn't look half bad!"  
Sandbar stood up and went behind Gallus to sneak a quick peak but his results are really good! The colors may be a bit extreme but he likes it for some reason.  
"R-really?", Gallus asks and the stallion nods his head in approval.  
He picks it up but as soon as it feels the earth's gravity a thread tears and half of it falls back onto the table.  
 _Of course it had to tear..._ , Gallus feels the anger buildung up inside of him but Sandbar picks up the other half of the tie/scarf and takes a closer look at it.  
"Not your fault Gallus. I think the machine had a small malfunction there but I could show an easy stitch to fix it. Only if you want, of course."  
"And that will fix it?", the griffon asks with a raised eyebrow and an obvious sign of doubt on his face but Sandbar knows how to answer that.  
"Don't you trust me?"  
 _I... I... Of course I trust you! What kind of question is that!  
_ Gallus looks into his friend's eyes but he has to shake himself free from the trance to answer the question, still the only thing he can managed to say is... nothing. Instead of using words he just nods and watches his friend taking the half he is holding into his hoof and placing both halves next to each other on the wooden surface. He then gets one of the spare sewing needles and a thread that looks the same as the one in the sewing machine and starts working on the fabric. He pierces it a few times, pulls the thread to it multiple times and ties a small knot to prevent it from opening again.  
"And that's it. Did you get it?", Sandbar wants to know but Gallus didn't really pay attention to the show because he was too busy watching his buddy's face and especially his eyes.  
"Gallus?", he repeats and switches his view from the scarf to the other male's face. This sudden action cures Gallus from his paralyzation-like state and he quickly prevents eye contact and stares down at the tabletop.  
"Erm... I...", he mumbles before trying to do it but his very first action is already wrong, "I think you did... that?"  
 _No, I did not_ , Sandbar thinks to himself as he watches his friend's claws perform moves he did not even thought were possible and decides to step in to help him.  
He carefully touches Gallus' talons with his hooves and begins to lead his actions and explains how to do it at the same time.  
"See... You have to make the loop first and then you can pull the needle through it", his gentle voice elucidates but Gallus' entire focus is on his talon and the pressure his friend's hoof onto it, carefully leading and teaching it the maneuvers.  
 _Is... Is that how it would feel like... to be with him? To hold his hoof in my claw every day...  
_ His thoughts travel further and further away from reality as he imagines feeling this every day and whenever he wants but, sadly, this experience is not meant to last as he feels the pleasant warmth fading away from the back of his claw.  
"See? It's very simple once you get the hang of it", the teal-colored stallion finishes his explanation, "Now show me what you've learned."  
Insecurity fills the griffon's claws again, especially now that his friend insists on his success, but he calms himself down and takes a deep breath, trying to remember the feeling of his crush's gentle movements and the way he guided him through the act, with impressive results!  
"Perfect! That was really good. You even aced the difficult part, good job Gallus!", the earth-pony cheers after watching his best friend's performance.  
 _I... I did it! And that was so easy!  
_ Gallus jumps up from his chair and raises his right talon into the air, "Awesome! Now nothing can bring me down!"  
The sight of that catches Sandbar off-guard and he can't stop himself from laughing, catching his buddy's attention that way.  
"No lose thread or torn clothing will dare to stand in your way", the stallion replies with a few laughs in-between the words.  
The two share a laugh as Sandbar returns to his bed to lay down again so he can continue to watch his student, who gives him a grin before trying something else out.

 **(Sandbar's Part)**  
Many hours go by as if they were just mere seconds and Gallus finally finishes up his last piece of fabric, unsparingly decorated with gems in various colors, shapes and sizes. He carefully places it on the pile next to the machine and turns it off.  
"You wanna go already?", Sandbar asks from the bed but Gallus can't help to snicker at that question.  
"Already? You do realize that it is almost past midnight, right?", the griffon answers, which causes his friend to take a look outside.  
He is right! The bright moon already started it's journey across the dark sky filled with beautiful stars, glittering like dew in the sunlight.  
 _Wow! Time sure flies by when you're watching a good-looking grffon_ , the stallion thinks to himself but his thoughts die as he notices the griffon getting up.  
"I think I will head back to my room before I fall asleep here."  
"I wouldn't mind that", Sandbar comments on his friend's idea but immediately covers his mouth with his hoof after realizing what just said.  
It's as if any shame or fear disappeared and only his deepest desires control his body and mind.  
Gallus, obviously a bit confused, stares at him as if he can't believe what he just heard. He doesn't answer or laugh like he does when things gets strange or react in any other way. He just stares at him with a wide eyes.  
"I... mean... only if you want...", he tries to correct himself as awkwardness fills the room and brings back his insecurity. It takes a moment for Gallus to finally make his move and, much to the equine male's surprise, he comes closer and sits down on the edge of the bed, his eyes practically piercing through Sandbar's eyes into the depths of his mind.  
"Oh... So you wouldn't? Would you mind if I did that?", the griffon boys asks teasingly as he wraps his talon around the stallion's hoof and, after staying like that for a few second, slowly bringing it to his beak and placing a gentle kiss on it's back, sending shivers down Sandbar's spine and coloring his face in a dark shade of red, feeling the heat rush through his entire body.  
Sandbar watches his friend as he continues to caress his hoof like they always do in those romantic movies before parting way for a long time or seeing each other again after many years.  
"I... don't mind that at all...", he whispers and that seems to be the magic word Gallus was waiting because as soon as he heard it he places on last passionate kiss before slowly backing away from the hoof and finally get on the same lever as his fellow classmate's face, looking at him with a reddish shade covering his face and a look in his eyes that shows more than just kindness. It's love in it's purest way. They don't need words anymore, they don't need to ask for permission anymore. Both of them wanted it for so long and now it's finally time to fulfill their dreams and become more than friends. It's time to become Lovers, led by their feelings and the wish to make the other one as happy as they can.  
"I love y-", the pony tries to forms with his lips but he gets cut of by an overwhelming sensation tingling through his body as the weight of two other lips land on his. Their first kiss! They first real kiss and it feels as perfect as he dreamed it to be. He closes his eyes and enjoys the feeling of his boyfriend's talon on his hoof and his feathers tingling him all over the body as he embraces him completely and holds him close to his heart, his body and all of his warmth. He tries to let himself go entirely but something forces him to come back. It's as if the warmth grows colder, the tingling feeling begins to fade away and the pressure on his lips and hoof becomes weaker and weaker until it completely disappears.  
 _Gallus? Gallus! Where are you! Come back!  
_ Sandbar reaches out his hooves to find his significant other but nothing meets his touch. He forces his eyes open and shouts one more time.

"Come back!", the pony screams as loud as he can as he shoots up from his bed, frantically feeling and searching his surroundings but everything he tries is in vain. He can't see anything, only Darkness meets his eyes. Darkness is the only thing surrounding him. It was a dream and nothing more, just a very, very intense dream...  
 _What? Where am I?_ , Sandbar asks himself but he quickly realizes that he is, in fact, in his own bed in his own room just like before but... alone.  
"G...Gallus? Are you there?", he asks while trying to make anything out in the darkness but no one replies.  
He attempts to raise his upper-body but something catches his attention.  
"Is that... my blanket? When did I tuck up myself?"  
He throws it aside and finally leaves his bed and moves to the light switch, filling his room with illumination. aside from himself, the room is empty.  
The realization that everything he just experienced was nothing more than a dream saddens him as he feels chills running up his spine. But that unwanted sensation fades away as he notices something strange on the desk next to the sewing machine and a small pile of fabrics, he has not noticed before. A piece of paper is laying there.  
 _What's that?  
_ He sits down and takes the paper into his hooves and reads his name on it.  
 _For me?  
_ He unfolds the piece of paper and reads the text it hid inside.

"(Hopefully) Good Morning Sandy,  
Thanks again for everything today. Was really cool hanging out with you and you were right, I had a lot of fun with all the stuff. Thanks for that too, was really / cool of you.  
Sorry for leaving without telling you but you I didn't want to wake you up. You / seemed so peaceful and I couldn't really bring myself to ruin that. I hope you'll have good dreams and rest up."

 _Intense dreams would be more fitting_ , he comments on the text before continuing it.

"I hope it is okay for you that I come back tomorrow after breakfast. There is still something I really wanna try out. I gave the gems a shot but I don't know if it's good. Maybe you could take a look at it. It's on top of the pile.  
See you later,  
Gallus"

 _That is so... sweet of him to leave a message behind... Hmm now where is that thing he mentioned  
_ Sandbar puts the note back and now carries his attention over to the pile of fabrics and, especially, the piece of fabric on top of it.  
It's a silver-gray piece of chiffon with various sized gems attached to it.  
"Good Morning Sandy :)", the stallion whispers as he reads the letters the gems form.  
 _That's so romantic! It's like a secret message from a secret admirer except it was Gallus and not a secret admirer. But it still is super romantic! Buuuuut it's not meant to be romantic but I can at least dream, right? Why am I even asking myself? Yes, I can dream! And now quiet!  
_ He shuts off how his inner voice while carefully picking up the piece of art but as soon as he tilts it a gems fall of and tilting it even more causes a few more to break up with the fabric, causing the message to read something else entirely.  
"Go ringS :)", he reads it again and bursts out in a loud laughter.  
 _Oh Gallus, you never fail to make me laugh.  
_ He turns his attention back to the note and stares at it for a few seconds before putting down the fabric, not noticing that most of the gems fell down while he was distracted. The message on it changed once more as most letters left their place and the g lost his tail, leaving two short words behind: o no  
A gentle smile adores his face as he takes the note with him back to bed. He quickly covers himself with his blanket and reads the note over and over again. Every word seems to be increasing his heartbeat and every time he finishes it his body feels warmer and warmer as if his friend embraced him, just like he did in his dream... But this time he knows that this feeling won't melt into thin air.

 **(Gallus' Part)**  
 _This fabric feels amazing! I want a shirt made out of it one day. And this color is stylish.  
_ Gallus' mind is writing it's own novel as he keeps himself busy with all the things his friend gathered for him, losing not only any sense for time but also totally forgets his friend, who has been awfully quiet the last hour. He forces his eye away from the slightly vibrating machine to get a quick glimpse at his equine friend to check on him. Much to his surprise he finds him with closed eyes, a barely noticeable breathing and a relaxed body.  
 _What?! What happe... Is he... sleeping?  
_ Gallus turns off his machine to take a closer look to make sure he is really just sleeping and not sick or something. He sighs in relief after assuring that his assumption is, in fact, reality.  
 _Makes sense. He seemed pretty tired and I believe I noticed him forcing his eyes open a few times after they shut themselves on their own. Poor guy...  
_ Gallus shows a smile before sitting down on his chair again and turning on the machine. He continues his work for a while but runs into a massive problem he has never faced before. Something seems to be wrong with the machine as it stops working properly.  
 _That's strange... Why doesn't it work anymore? The needle isn't moving one bit. Something like that never happened before and Sandbar never mentioned any difficulties like that... I should ask him for help, he will know what to do.  
_ "Hey Sandy, I think someth-", the griffon begins to inform his friend but quickly covers his own beak after remembering that he is resting.  
 _I really shouldn't wake him up... He deserves to rest. I am sure I can figure it out on my own. Let's see..._

The blue male shuts he machine down and tries to get a better look at it but fails to accomplish anything.  
 _Damn... I don't know enough about this thing!  
_ He stands up from his chair and searches for some kind of manual in the drawers of the desk but nothing he should worry about can be found there. He searches the top of the table and carefully lifts the machine. A thin, white book infiltrates his line of sight and he quickly pulls it out of the way with the tip of his tail, causing it to drop on the floor. He then carefully places the machine back on it's spot so he can pick up the manual. The cover just says the name of the machine and a number, which is most likely there to show the version or what type of machine it is.  
 _Yeah... Knowing it's name isn't going to help me fix it:.._ , the feathered male comments as he rolls his eyes and opens the manual, finding a table of contents. His eyes quickly analyze it but stop as soon as he reads the words 'Malfunctions'.  
 _Perfect! I'm sure I will find something useful there!  
_ His assumption proves itself correct as he flips the pages until noticing something that fits his situation perfectly. After reading that certain part carefully he places it next to the machine and starts working on the problem. I takes a few attempts and he has to read the page at least four times but he finally succeeds and the machine works as if it were new.  
 _Haha! The master strikes again! Bow down to my intimidating wisdom and skill!  
_ After shaking his own talon over his head and cheering for himself he tries out a few more things and, at least for his standards, acing all of them with ease! (They look okay but I am sure Rarity would faint as soon as she even sees them... but only for a bit, they are not as bad as you might think!)  
The success really ignites a fire of motivation in his chest and the urge to challenge himself grows.  
 _The gems are very difficult, isn't that what you said Sandy. I am sure I can master that too!  
_ With a grin on his beak he picks up on of the smaller gems and takes a middle-sized silver-gray piece of chiffon and begins to work on it. But his attention span decreases quickly as he hears his equine friend grunting next to him as he moves his body a bit before falling silent again, seemingly finding the perfect position for a good night's sleep. He tries to concentrate again but something forces his eyes to drift away from the machine to gain a quick look at Sandbar, who has a faint smile on his face.

 _He looks even cuter when he's sleeping... How is that even possible! I wonder what he's dreaming about... Hopefully it's a good dream. I could watch him all night... Wait? Night?!  
_ Something sparkly gains his attention and so he takes a quick look outside the window to see a few bright spots in the sky but his thoughts are still focused on the stallion.  
 _I could watch him all night... Night?! What!?  
_ His full attention is now targeted at the formerly white sky, which is now coated in darkness and the small white dots all over it. Hundreds of stars sparkle as bright as they can, hoping to gain the attention of anyone who watches the sky at night, like Gallus is doing it right now.  
 _It's so late already? I totally lost track of time! Maybe I should get going soon... but...  
_ He looks back at the machine and at Sandbar as an idea slowly forms in his head.  
 _I will go after I'm done with the gems. I have a great idea!  
_ With the concept in mind the blue male starts his last project of the day but noticing how rare the chance is to see his friend sleeping, not to mention in such a cute position, distracts him more and more. With his eyes mostly on Sandbar and his attention only occasionally on the machine and the fabric, he finishes his project and puts it carefully on top of the others.  
 _And now I should let him know I left. And... I should thank him again for everything he did for me today. I'm sure I saw a notepad in one of those drawers... but which one?  
_ He opens a drawer but no notepad can be found, then the one below with the same results.  
 _Then it must be that one!  
_ Gallus quickly opens the last drawer and, no surprise, he finds the notepad he remembered seeing. He carefully separates one of the pieces from the rest, making sure not to tear it apart that way, and takes one of the pencils he saw in the same drawer alongside some books and a few other pencils.  
 _'Dear Sandy'... No... 'Hey bro!' ... Wow, even I had to cringe there... 'Good Morning Sandy', Yeah, that works but what if he slept bad? I could... '(Hopefully) Good Morning Sandy, Thanks again...'  
_ He continues his note while thinking carefully about how to put what he wants to say and how to make it sound personal but not too cheesy. It's a real struggle but he manages to come up with a great text... a few small 'mistakes' still manage to sneak into the sentences but luckily Gallus reads every single one three more times before starting the next one, finding every little faux pas and crossing them out as often as possible, making sure they can not be read anymore.  
 _'...too, that was really sweet of-' SWEET? Nononononono, I can't say that! What about... really rat? nice? cool? COOL! That's it! 'really cool of you. Sorry for leaving without telling you but you I didn't want to wake you up. You looked so adorable' Wow... seriously? 'You seemed so peaceful'  
_ It takes him about thirty minutes to think about stuff to write, build normal sentences and replace words he isn't sure about but the results are something he can be proud of.  
 _Let's put it here next to the machine. That way he won't miss it. And now I should get going._

Gallus gets up from his seat and heads for the door but a sudden voice paralyzes him. It's Sandbar's voice but its not trying to form words, only strange, uncomfortable sounds.  
 _Sandy? Is something wrong?_ , the feather-covered male asks himself before turning around and observing the stallion, whose faint smile was replaced with a frown and clenched teeth, the typical symptoms of a also notices something else that he totally ignored the other times he watched him: Sandbar's blanket is on the other side of the bed!  
 _How can anyone sleep without a blanket? No wonder he dreams bad. Should I... Or is that weird? I don't know how I would react if som-  
_ Another grunt interrupts his inner monologue and seemingly activates something inside Gallus' body. A reflex or some sort of specific reaction but without thinking about it he rushes for the bed and takes the blanket into his claws. He then carefully covers his equine crush with it and waits for him to calm down and for the frown to disappear. He watches his face carefully and moves his own a bit closer to see it in more detail. It takes a minute or so but the smile returns and the grunting also stops for good, much to the griffon's relief.  
 _Phew... good to know your dream is back on on the right track Sandy... Seeing you like th-  
_ Silence in his head and every sound around him ceases to exist as he stares at his friend's face only inches away from his, feeling his faint breath against his own face like a hot summer breeze. Every control he has over his body disappears and something else takes over and leads him closer and closer until he meets his friend's cheek and giving him a small and short peck. Not more nor less than a peck but a peck nonetheless! The mysterious force vanishes and his body is back under his own control but the image of him kissing his crush just mere seconds ago serves as an emergency shutdown. Every command his brain gives him dies as quickly as it is send out and so he just stands there, silent and looking down at his friend who is still sleeping as if he were Sleeping Beauty.  
 _I...I...I..._ , is the only thing his brain is able to come up with before he carefully sneaks out of the room and shuts it's door as gentle as possible.

 _HOW COULD I DO THAT!?  
_ The spell seems to be broken and the brain regained his power and the first command he puts into action is: Panic. He flaps his wings as fast as he can and in not even ten seconds he reaches his door, which he immediately opens to hide inside his room.  
 _I just kissed him! Why did I do that? What if he wasn't sleeping? What if he was awake? What if he noticed what I did?! That would be super weird AND it could end out friendship!  
_ Fear searches it's way into his mind but something tells him that everything will be alright.  
 _No... There is no way he was awake. He was asleep for sure but... it is still kind of weird to kiss a friend while they sleep! I should not do that! ... It felt really nice though... His fur was soft and it felt so right but so wrong at the same time!  
_ Still lost in his own thoughts he drops himself on his bed and begins to talk to his flower, like he promised to do.  
"You won't believe what happened! Sandbar and I- It could be a long story so maybe I should get you your water first so you don't die of dehydration. I'll be right back."  
He fetches the water as fast as he can and practically bathes the little, blooming flower with it.  
 _I can swear it looks a lot healthier than yesterday... Could be my imagination...  
_ He drops the topic, lays down on his bed and, once he feels comfortable under his blanket, continues their talk where they, or more precisely, he left off.  
"So Sandy really outdid himself today. He prepared so much just for me so I can try something new! That was so awesome and then he showed me a new technique and even held my claw. I couldn't even concentrate but I nailed nonetheless, which is not very surprising. We totally lost track of time and when I left I... I... I kissed him! Well, it was more of a peck but still! I couldn't believe it myself but it felt so good! I know it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing but I am kinda glad I took it."  
He begins to snooze away as the adrenaline in his body seizes to exist and drowsiness finally gets the upper hand. He doesn't even notice that the colors of the Aurora's Kiss become brighter once more.

 **A very hard chapter for me to write and the next one will take some time because I need to rethink my way of ending the story...**  
 **But let's not worry about that^^ Hope the chapter is good and you enjoy it!**


	11. Path 1: Sometimes One has to trust one

NOTE:  
Soooo... Since I had different Ideas on how this story can go I decided to make two different endings. The real one on which I will build my next stories with my two little lovers and one alternate ending which is just for fun^^

 **This one is the one I will use for the next few stories so have fun reading it :D**

Two more days and everypony is slowly freaking out, but not Gallus. On the contrary, he totally forgot about all that. It's almost as if last night's experience completely deleted his memory, at least the parts that worried him. How can anyone really blame him though? He lived one of his dreams! Blinding rays of sunshine invade the room and do their best to wake up the sleeping griffon, with success. He slowly opens his eyes and raises his head to take a quick look out of the window. The nightly blue turned into the orange flames of an early morning and the sun begins to rise behind the mountains, showing only a fraction of it's full glory but enough to spread it's light and warmth.  
He releases one big yawn before wishing his plant-friend a good morning.  
"I'll get you some water, little buddy."  
This procedure became a daily habit of him since Sandbar gave him the plant. Sometimes it still bothers him, especially when he's still feeling tired, but most of the time he doesn't mind it anymore, like today.  
He reenters his room with a glass filled with the glorious liquid in his left front talon.  
"Here you go! Breakfast fresh from the restroom's faucet", he jokes as he pours it into the pot, where it quickly sinks into the brown earth, coloring it a darker shade in the process.  
 _Speaking of breakfast...  
_ His stomach begins to growl at him the moment he even dares to think about the most important meal of the day.  
 _Yeah, yeah! I need to eat something... Didn't even had dinner yesterday. Except a little taste of pony... But nearly not enough to fill me. Better get something good from the cafeteria.  
_ He searches for his coin sack, which he finds next to his desk, and prepares himself for a quick breakfast. After leaving his room he locks his door and walks down the stairs to reach the ground level, where he interrupts his trip and takes a look down the corridor where Sandbar's room is located.  
 _I could ask Sandy if he wants something to eat but... Pretty sure he is still asleep. I'll visit him in a few hours so he can sleep late.  
_ He turns away and leaves the dorm building, setting his sight on the school building in front of him.  
He doesn't meet many other students on his way and the school itself doesn't seem to be very busy either. A few ponies can be seen with books on their backs or levitating in front of their faces. Seeing that reminds him of what he and Sandbar **should** be doing and why they even decided to hang out so much lately. And it helps him remember that only two full days are left for them to do that.  
 _I really should ask Sandbar to go over everything I need to know today. We don't have much time left and I am still not even a bit smarter than I was before. But I can't do that without a good breakfast!_

He heads for the cafeteria but a voice, that he somehow recognizes a bit, calls for him.  
"Look who decided to show up in his free time. It's the always friendly and helpful griffon."  
Two stallions, who noticed him coming inside, aim for him with a, somehow, ominous grin. The red-coated shoots his friend a quick look before facing Gallus, who he now stands in front of.  
"Oh wait!", he continues, "Griffons and everything else than greedy, selfish or grumpy are irreconcilable differences, I totally forgot. Sorry Gal, old pal."  
 _Who is that jerk?  
_ Gallus gives the other male a weird look and examines him to see if he recognizes him in any way but he can't remember seeing him before.  
"It's Gallus and, sorry but... do I even know you", he asks but stops before putting on a more mocking voice to end his question, "pal?"  
"Harsh but what else can you expect from a griffon. Only interested in things that benefits him. Don't you remember us from the restroom? I asked you for my towel and you, like the griffon you obviously are, just left me hanging. I thought you and the other freaks came here to learn about Friendship and Generosity and Kindness and stuff but especially you don't care about all of that, do you? You only care about yourself. I can't wait to see how miserably you will fail the exams."  
 _What is that jerk's problem? I'd beat him up but... I can't risk that... I have to ignore them... but it's really difficult...  
_ "Oh noooo! How sad it would be to see you leave! We would miss your every day of our lives", the peach-colored pegasus adds before bursting out laughter.  
"Oh, don't worry about me. I will pass with ease", the griffon gloats with a cocky expression on his face before turning away from them.  
 _Good enough. Let's get rid of those jerks.  
_ He continues his way towards the entrance of the cafeteria but the two equine males stop him.  
 _Why me..._ , Gallus thinks to himself as he rolls his eyes in annoyance after bumping into the same obstacle twice now.  
"Oh did your little freaky pony-friend give you a little extra lesson or what? Are you two all buddy-buddy and the best of friends?", the pegasus teases and his red-coated buddy ads a little bit more fuel to the fire.  
"Is that what you two were doing in the park? I saw you two hanging around there laughing and stuff but now it makes much more sense. I should have realized that you need all the help you can get. A hopeless case even with your buddy's help but it's still nice of him to waste his time with a blighter like you."  
"No, we did not! We were just go-, I mean, hanging out because we are friends and that's what friends do. We tried to study but it didn't work so leave him out of this!"  
 _Why am I even getting so worked up about all that. They don't even know what they are talking about so why do I care? I shouldn't care! But I can't control it... It's as if they know how to make me talk or something like that!  
_ "Oh, is that what you two call it? Hanging out? I could have sworn I heard that fish-bird-thing talk about how hard he found it to teach you anything at all", the pegasus replies with a snicker, "and even that lizard-lady said something like that. Something about really knowing how to motivate you. Looks like the only one who's in the dark about all that"  
He pokes the griffon's chest with his hoof as he finishes his sentence, "is you. But why trust us if you can just ask him yourself."  
"As if!", the griffon snaps back at them, giving them a sample of the rage he fells, "I don't need to ask him and I couldn't care less about what you guys have to say. I know my friends and I know Sandbar. He would tell me what's up! He would tell me the truth!", Gallus impugns the pony's statement.  
"And now get out of my way or I'll show you what griffons can really do better than ponies", he shows him his fist and smashes it into the palm of his other talon, "and that's Inflicting pain."  
He sidesteps the two males and heads for the cafeteria again to finally get something to eat but a shout from the red-coated earth-pony still reaches his ear.  
"Don't say we didn't warn you, buddy!"  
He quickly tries to delete that last message from his brain but a small piece of doubt clinges to it with all it's strength, not allowing it to leave completely. Instead of deleting it he just pushes is into the background, ignoring it as good as he can as he finally enters the cafeteria.

Today's menu offers peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, bowls of fresh salat, fresh apple juice from Sweet Apple Acres and other types of juice in different colors, muffins, colorful donuts with and without sprinkles and Gallus' favorite treat: griffon scones. Only a few ponies are eating and two more ponies, one pegasus and one unicorn, are busy putting food on their plates. Gallus takes one of the food trays and is about to take one of the griffon scones but someone's yell stops him.  
"Gallus, what a surprise to see you here so early. Since when are you the type of griffon who gets up early? Doesn't suit you at all."  
The orange dragon, who stood near the door to the garden when she noticed him, is now standing next to him and shows him a little smile.  
"The other girls are outside. Come and join us", she offers him but somehow the hunger Gallus felt is gone and something else bothers his stomach now: A strange and uncomfortable feeling. Could it be doubt? or fear? or maybe both?  
 _I... really don't wanna see them right now..._ , he admits to himself as the feeling grows worse and worse.  
"Thanks but I'm not really hungry. Just wanted to get some juice and get back to my room."  
With that he takes a glass and fills it with the first juice that appears in his sight, a strange purple one, before heading for the exit, leaving his tray behind.  
"Oh... sure", Smolder replies, obviously worried and a bit confused but she knows that it is better to not annoy him when he seems down so she lets him go without stopping him even once.  
The way back to the dorms is a short one but every step drains more and more energy and motivation as his head fills with repeats of his talk with the two stallions, adding more and more fuel to the slowly igniting fire of doubt he develops.  
 _It's true... We haven't really studied at all after out first time and there are only two more days left... Maybe San- No! What am I even thinking! How can I even think that!? That jerk was just lying! I am sure we will study today and if not today then tomorrow and I will pass the exams with ease and that douche won't believe his eyes when he sees my good grade! He's just trying to get int my head for... whatever reason. I won't give in... I won't... right?  
_ He pushes all of those thoughts aside and takes a big sip from his glass, but immediately spits the liquid out as soon as it as much as touches his taste buds, which seem to be shivering from the sourness of the drink.  
 _Ew! What is that? Puddle-water? That's just wrong_ , he criticizes his dark drink while spitting a few more times, trying to get rid of the bitter and disgusting sensation but no matter how much he tries, the aftertaste never completely ceases to exist. But is that really just the bad juice or is it the ember of the flame that he couldn't suffocate in his own belief and hope? He pours the rest of the juice away and returns to his room, thinking about everything and waiting for the time to come where he can visit his study-buddy.

The rest of the day goes by just like any other day has. He shows up at Sandbar's room and they spend the day together except this time he is the one just sitting around and watching his friend getting some work done. They don't speak that much but once in a while Sandbar tries to show Gallus something new or asks him for his opinion. Unfortunately, Gallus' thoughts are still occupied and paying attention is nearly impossible and so he quickly forgets everything his friend tries to explain or he doesn't even pay attention at all. After only two hours he suddenly excuses himself, naming exhaustion and a headache as reasons, and aims for the door but his equine friend stops him.  
"Are you sure it's just that? It feels like you tuned out a lot today... Is something wrong?"  
"I...", he starts but the train of thoughts in his head cause him to fall silent again.  
It's almost as if a little angel on his right shoulder and two devils on his left shoulder whisper into his ears.  
 _"This is your chance! Ask him about it. You know that you want to!", the devils cheer but their counterpart disagrees with them.  
_ _"You trust him, don't you? It's gonna be all right so forget about what those guys said and stay with him. It's for the best."  
_ _"Pah! Sure, let him fool you and lie to you!", the one devils grumbles and his friend joins him, "Why wait and see when you can get to the truth right here, right now. Then all your fears and insecurities will dissolve."  
_ _"Trust him!"  
_ _"Ask him!"  
_ _"Trust him!"  
_ _"Ask him!"  
_ _ **"Trust him!"**_

"I think I ate something really bad in the cafeteria. Some strange juice... I'm sure I'll feel much better after lying down for a bit", the griffon continues his sentence with a weak smile that reflects his current mood perfectly.  
 _I trust him and... even if those jerks are telling the truth, which I still don't believe, then I'm sure Sandy has his reasons and I know that he will tell me when the time is right. I shouldn't put those jerks' opinions over his... I love him and I know I can trust him no matter what!  
_ He reaches the door but before he can put his talon on the handle his friend stops him once more.  
"You can lie down here", he suggests shyly as he tilts his head towards the bed next to him, "I know it's not your bed and it may be strange but I wouldn't mind you using it. That way you can rest and I can keep an eye on you in case you get even worse and we can hang out a bit more. You can also take a little nap if you think it'll help. I know how to keep myself busy.  
Gallus lets go of the handle and turns around, starring at the bed and his friend, who shows him a warm and gentle smile, which makes this offer even more tempting,  
 _Is he sure? I expected him to let me go but that... is really generous of him...  
_ Every little bit of doubt and worry that burdened him are gone as his entire mind is now focused on the bed and Sandbar's smile. The griffon-boy's weak smile grows stronger as he nods his head, which turns the stallion's smile into a full-sized grin, showing his relief and his delight.  
 _That was kinda risky_ , Sandbar admits to himself but the results are clearly the best outcome he could have hoped for so he doesn't really care.  
Gallus comes closer to the side of the bed and looks at it. He knows how it feels like, he sat on it before and it was really comfortable and warm so he is even more excited for it. It feels similar to his own bed and it almost looks the same but something about the idea of laying in it sparks a firework of pleasant anticipation.  
The pony with the teal-colored mane quickly takes the blanket off the bed so his friend can lay down and, after he did that, gives it back to him so he can tuck himself up.  
"Thanks Sandy", the griffon says as he lays on his back, "it's really comfortable. I hope you really don't mind that I take over your bed for now."  
 _Are you kidding me?! I still can't believe that's actually happening! The dude I really, really like is in my bed, it's the best thing that happened today! But I have to play it cool, play it cool Sandbar.  
_ "Of course not Gallus, be my guest. And remember: If you want to take a nap, just go for it. I'll be here and do my thing so don't worry."  
He gives him one more of his, in Gallus' eyes, very charming smiles before returning to his seat and continuing his work on his project.

Gallus rolls onto his side, which makes him face his equine buddy, and just looks at him as Sandbar tries out a new stitch he read about earlier. He watches him for half an hour and notices that the bad feeling begins to melt away, which encourages him even more that he made the right choice.  
 _I can't believe I even thought about listening to those guys! Sandy is a good guy and I believe in him, just like he believes in me.  
_ He begins to smile as he thinks about what an idiot he was, a smile that catches his friend's attention.  
"Feeling better?", the lime-green coated male asks his friend, who startles a bit but almost instantly nods his head.  
"Yeah, much better", he replies, "I guess I just needed to rest a bit and this bed surely did the job."  
"It always does", Sandbar answers with a grin on his face.  
"So, what are you doing right now?"  
"Fixing the gems you tried yesterday. They fell off when I checked it last night so I want to attach them with a different stitch", the pony says as he takes the third gem and places it on the fabric Gallus recognizes.  
The blue male rolls onto his back again, lifts his upper body a bit and begins to scratch his neck, like he always does when he finds something embarrassing.  
"I really hoped for them to hold better but I guess I overestimated myself there."  
Sandbar giggles as he finishes the fourth gem, "Not your fault. Attaching gems the right way is very difficult. And besides, a few of them lasted and that's impressive for your first time. I remember when I tried it out for the first time, all of the gems fell down the moment I tilted the fabric the tiniest bit so having a few maintain their position is pretty good! If you want to, I can show you a little trick that will fasten them better, if you want to of course."  
Gallus looks at his friend, who shows him another smile, and nods with a smile of his own,  
"Sounds good to me!"

They spent the rest of the day trying different stitches together and watching each other fail some, try them again and learning them until the night begins.  
"I still don't really get that one...", Sandbar mumbles but he decides to call it a night and gives up, turning his head towards the griffon-male, who is sitting on his bed again.  
"Don't look at me. I sure can't do it if you can't", he jokes and both males snicker.  
"I guess I should go to sleep. Today really drained me", the blue male says as he gets up from the bed but his equine friend stops him before he reaches the door.  
"Wait! You should take the stuff you made with you. They are yours after all, right?"  
Sandbar gives him a small box, where all the little knots, stitches and even the formerly broken message are stored in.  
"Oh, right. Thanks Sandy. Totally didn't think about taking them with me the last few times."  
He takes the box from his friend with his tail and places it on his back, before turning his attention back to his buddy, who smiles at him once more. The two say goodbye to each other for the last time before the exam. Gallus returns to his room and places the box next to his bed before taking care of his lovely little flower while all the while narrating his day to it. He then notices that Sandbat never really specified why they can't meet but he doesn't really mind. He can use the day to think things through and to repeat stuff he saw and learned. Both of them know that they will pass the exams and they both know that the other one will do as well. This thought fills them with determination.


	12. Path 1: The Answers are in your Head

Gallus, who slept as good as the last few days, wakes up fairly early in the morning, which is surely not something one would connect with him if knowing him better. Maybe it was the inner clock telling him to study the entire day or maybe it was because of his little break in his special somepony's bed yesterday.  
 _Why am I awake so early? I wanna sleep more... but maybe it's not that bad to be up earlier... At least I can stand my flower an early drink.  
_ Like every day, the first thing on his list is, just like he suggested himself, taking care of his pal in the pod. He quickly fetches some water from the empty restroom and gives it to the flower before thinking about what to do now. But it looks like his stomach is taking that burden off his shoulders as it growls loudly.  
 _Breakfast doesn't sound so bad I guess. I could go for an apple or something quick but somehow I feel that I would run into those idiots again if I went and then my appetite would be spoiled so... no use in going. Maybe I have something to eat in my room. I remember stashing some stuff somewhere in here...  
_ The male griffon begins to search around his room but instead of something to eat he stumbles across one of his books from school. He picks it up and opens it on a random page and takes a quick look at it.  
 _Oh... right... The book Miss Rarity gave us with all the different ways of stitching and sewing. How can anyone even work with that! Those pictures are even more confusing than the steps! There is no way for someone to learn the... Embro...aid...ery Stitch? I can't even say that name! Urgh!  
_ He slams the book shut and tosses it into one of the corners of his room, the one furthest away from his bed, before continuing his search for something consumable. Luckily for him, he manages to find an unopened bag of chips under his bed, which must have gotten there by accident, not long after his first, much more disappointing find.  
 _Wow... Those must have been there for at least two months. I wonder if they still taste good..._ , Gallus thinks to himself as he investigates the bag in his claws for some sort of opening through which air could have gotten inside. He finds none so, feeling a bit relieved, he rips the top open and tries one of the spicy-flavored goods.  
 _Oh yeah... That's the stuff...  
_ A big smile appears on his face as his taste buds embrace the welcome sensation and sends his mind into a happy place. He puts the bag on the bed and lays next to it before taking the issue of 'Griffon Ranger' which he couldn't finish the last time he tried from the stack of comic books, which is still next to his bed. He quickly finishes the book and, after reading the last panel, he closes it and takes a look at the cover of the book.  
 _Ohhhh! So that's how the story ends... How boring. That was so predictable that I actually did not expect it to happen because it was so predictable... Not worth my time.  
_ Kinda disappointed by the book he drops it next to the pile and takes the next issue, which continues the story where the former one left off. He follows this procedure until he finished the last issue, which was the ninth book in a row.  
 _The old ones were better..._ , the now kinda grumpy griffon criticizes the comic series as he stuffs his beak with more of the crispy food.  
 _Great! Now I'm in a bad mood! I could have laid down again and sleep for the past two hours and miss nothing. And now I can't even sleep because I am too upset. I need something to cheer me u-  
_ His inner monologue suddenly falls silence as something catches his attention. It's the box Sandbar gave him last night with all the things he created. He carefully grabs the crate and places it in his lap before taking off the cover and taking a closer look at all the things inside.  
 _I forgot how many different things I tried with Sandy! There is my first failure and there is the one I did when he was asleep. And...  
_ Gallus carefully takes out red piece of fabric, which he used to test different types of stitches on, and analyzes it.  
 _Was that the Satin stitch or the back stitch? Oh, that was the Zigzag stitch! I remember it because it looked very strange when I saw him do it but doing it myself was pretty easy. And here are the ones we tried without the machine! The Cross-stitch, the Hemstitch and, the most difficult one, the Tent stitch. I remember how much I struggled with that one but Sandy really helped me with out. Oh! The Embroidery Stitch turned out better than I remembered. Looks really good he- Wait.  
_ His mind wanders off into his memory and pulls something out of it which was not that long ago. Carefully he places the piece back in the crate and pushes the box from his lap, trying his best not to move the content too much. Afterwards, he rushes for the corner and picks up the book, which he tossed there. He quickly scans the pages on his search for that specific one and, after flicking about halfway through it, he finally finds it.  
 _The Embroidery Stitch! I knew I saw it before! But... it's looks way more complicated than Sandy made it look like.  
_ He flips the page and takes a look at a _And there is the Cross-stitch! And the Hemstitch and all the other stitches._

The griffon flips the page and analyzes the following ones, recognizing some things from his meeting with his pony-friend. And, just like the first one, his explanations were easier to understand than the one the book provides. This realization makes him remember the jerk's words from the day before about Sandbar and his 'true intentions'.  
 _Were they right? It does look like he taught me a lot during our time together...  
_ He feels how doubt begins to corrupt his mind once more but he also remembers what he decided yesterday. Never will he doubt the one he truly loves again! Because he trusts him and he knows that his friend trusts him too.  
 _So what! He was supposed to help me but that doesn't mean that he is a liar! I am sure he had his reasons for not telling me. Learning with him was way more fun than reading those stupid books and more efficient! And it's not like we only did that. We had so much fun together, even before all that sewing stuff, and we did so many different things. I will pass the test tomorrow, I will make him proud and then I will tell him everything! ... Okay, maybe not the last part but the other two! Those idiots can talk as much nonsense as they want because they won't get through to me! Not again.  
_ He closes the book but this time he actually brings it along as he heads back to the bed. The rest of the day is consumed by remembering all the different situations he and Sandbar were in, comparing the stitches in the book with his own work and, from time to time, talking with his flower before he heads to bed with a heart full of joy and excitement and a head full of knowledge and happy thoughts.

The countdown finally comes to an end as the exams are due and every student joins their respective group, which was determined very early in the year. Each group works through the list of tests in a different order. Sandbar, Gallus and Yona are in the group which starts with Rartiy's exam. Then comes Twilight's Equestrian History test and Applejack's Honesty exam ends their first day, while Smolder, Silverstream and Ocellus' group take on Pinkie Pie's Equestrian Celebration test, followed by Fluttershy's exam on the Wildlife of Equestria and, last but not least for the first day, Rainbow Dash's 'Sport Festival', in which every student has to show their skill in eight different Individual Sports and three Team Sports and all of their ratings put together reveals the grade.  
"Morning Yona", the griffon greets his yak friend as he arrives at their first destination, the lecture hall on the first floor of the school.  
"Greetings Gallus!", she replies after noticing him coming towards her.  
Most of the other students already gathered around even though there are a few more minutes left until the exam officially starts. Gallus takes a look around and is pretty surprised to see so many different reactions to the inevitable event. Some of the ponies are pretty relaxed while others look like they could faint but most of them look only a bit bothered by it. Gallus would count himself to the relaxed group since he is fairly sure he will pass the tests.  
 _Look at them, all stressed out. I will pass for sure! The only problem I had was Miss Rarity but thanks to Sandy that risk is eliminated... Apropos: Where is he?  
_ Gallus scans the group of ponies once more but the only ponies he can recognize are those jerks and those are surely not the ones he is looking for.  
"Hey Yona? Have you seen Sandbar? Not being here is not like him at all", the blue male asks his friend, but only gains a head-shake in return.  
A weird feeling begins to spread in his body as his mind begins to worry about his crush's absence but a voice cleanses his body immediately.  
"Hey guys! I totally overslept", the formerly missing stallion shouts as he runs through the hallway and stops right next to his friends.  
"Sandbar couldn't sleep good?", the female yak asks her friend, visibly showing how much she worries about him.  
"Yeah... Had some trouble falling asleep but no biggie. Hey Gallus, can I talk to you? You don't mind, right Yona?"  
Yona confirms it by nodding her head before leaving the two males some space by walking over to a group of ponies she met earlier this year in the library. Gallus watches their friend leave before turning his attention back to Sandbar, who seems pretty serious.

"Everything alright Sandy?", the feather-covered male asks but instead of answering he only notices that Sandbar's eyes are fixated on him and that they seem duller than usual.  
Sandbar suddenly begins to walk away from the group and around a corner so that the others won't hear or see them and Gallus follows him quickly. They stop and the pony turns back around so he can face his friend before trying his best to explain.  
"I need to tell you something before we go in there. The thing is... I don't even know how to say it... or even if I should say it now or later but I feel like you deserve to know it. I feel horrible about it but... I... It's... damn!"  
Every new attempt causes his head to hang lower and lower as his eyes lose his target and refocus on the floor instead.  
 _He's really fighting with himself... I can't stand seeing him like that and I think I know what it is anyway... He shouldn't feel bad about it...  
_ Sandbar continues to stammer until his friend's voice interrupts him.  
"Thanks for helping me", the griffon-male says with a smile on his face, "I would have failed for sure without you but now... I know I can do it!"  
Hearing those words causes the pony's head to rise again and his worried expression to fade away into a faint smile. His eyes regain the spark as they capture the griffon's picture and the reassuring grin, which slowly melts every trace of shame, guilt and fear away.  
"And whatever might bother you, just forget it. Let's pass these tests and, if you really want, we can talk afterwards. Okay Sandy?"  
He places one of his talons on Sandbar's head and ruffles his mane after noticing his smile and, much to his delight, his friend agrees with his idea, which causes him to blush slightly.  
"Thank you...", the now also blushing pony answers with closed eyes and a bigger smile on his face as he feels the sensation in his hair.  
"Daaaaaarlings! I am here!", a feminine voice echoes throughout the hallway, which causes Gallus to quickly pull his talon away and both of them to run back to the group.  
Miss Rarity just made her big entrance and, with a quick sparkle of her horn, she unlocks the door to the hall and bids everyone to come inside and their seats. The group obliges by entering the lecture hall in a civilized manner and taking their assigned seats.  
Sandbar passes his friend and whispers, "Good luck."  
"Thanks to you... I don't need any luck, Sandy", the griffon answers back in a cocky manner but with a grin that speaks the truth.

"As you all know, I will be gone tomorrow evening because there is a huge fashion event in Canterlot and I really need to be there to attend it and to help my employees in my boutique deal with the increased amount of customers. Which is why I'm letting you write both exams at the same time with less questions for each exam. The same goes for the other group. Now, let us talk about the exam itself."  
Miss Rarity explains the rules of the exam and gives a few little hints about how to answer the questions and where to write those answers before handing out the parchment scrolls with the questions on it.  
"You get two hours to write down you name and your answers. It should be plenty of time so do not rush it and think about every question and everything you write down. I am sure you can all do it! Make me proud!"


	13. Path 1: A different kind of Blooming

**Yeeeeeah... Sorry for not updating this story in SUCH A LONG TIME! I was really busy with school, other stories and hobbies and my laptop just quit on me so I lost the almost completed chapter. But I caught up and I hope I can finish it by the end of 2019!**  
 **Merry Christmas to all of my readers and thank your all for liking my story :)**  
 **I am already working on a sequel! I hope you will like that one too!**  
 **Don't forget that there is an update to the other Path as well!**  
 **Anyway... Here is the chapter!**

The exam goes by without any problems and Gallus is among the first ten to hand in their papers. A few minutes later Snowflake, a white-coated Pegasus mare with a light-blue, curly mane and tail and Sandbar follow their example and finish their exam. The earth-pony leaves the classroom and notices his griffon-friend, who is taking a quick sip from a water-fountain. He stops when he sees his friend heading his way with a faint smile decorating his face.  
"So... How did it go?", Sandbar asks with a hint of nervousness in his voice but it quickly vanishes when he sees the smile on the griffon's face.  
"One or two questions were a bit too difficult but I am pretty sure I was way better than Hotshot. I saw him freaking out and almost snapping his quill in half. It was a blast to see! Luckily for me, most of it was a breeze, thanks to you", Gallus answers with a chuckle as he ruffles his friend's mane, who also lets out a little giggle, " Now we just need to ace the rest. And you? Did the master of fabric nail it?"  
This new title creates a faint blush on the pony's cheeks as he nods with the same smile as before.  
"Nothing that big or complicated so I should be fine..."  
The way Sandbar answers shows that he is still worried about the thing from before, which is not very surprising, and it pains Gallus to see him this way.  
 _Damn... I hoped he cheered up a little by now but, thinking about it, I guess getting confronted with the exact thing makes it difficult to accept it... Just two more days and everything will be fine, I promise!  
_ "I know we, I mean you will. You're the smartest pony I know so cheer up and lets kicks those exam-butts! And... do you want to come to my room after Rainbow Dash's Sport Festival? I think we could both use some time to relax and catch our breath. You in?"  
He can see a bit of hesitation in his friend's eyes but it quickly vanishes before he nods with a more obvious smile on his lips.  
"Sounds good. Wanna get a quick snack before taking on Twilight's super-exciting history exam?"  
"Oh totally... I can't wait for that snore-fest of a test. I hope I can even stay awake long enough to read all the questions", the griffon jokes as they make their way to the pretty empty cafeteria.  
"Oh yeah, I think Hotshot even managed to destroy his quill in the end. I heard something break and it came from his direction. Poor quill though, not its fault he's as dumb as a pile of pebbles", the pony remembers Gallus comment and adds to it, which causes his friend to break out in a loud, hearty laugh.

The rest of today's exams go by without any big problems, like Gallus imagined they would. He only had problems with Miss Rarity's part after all and Sandbar seemed prepared for anything. The next day is, again, occupied with scrolls full of questions, the sound of quills scratching over parchment and muffled cheers, groans and confused mumbling and so is the first half of the third and final day. The group already finished Applejack's farming test and just returned from Fluttershy's test on Equestrian Wildlife, which gives them a thirty minute break before their last and surely most physically exhausting test takes place: Rainbow Dash's Sport Festival!  
Sandbar, Yona and Gallus got themselves a cup of juice and decided to sit down at the bottom of the empty stair, which leads to the second floor, in the main hall. They talk a bit about the exams they've been through and the easy question Miss Fluttershy asked in her exam.  
"Some questions were so easy, I thought they were trick-questions! Name one yellow flower, really!? Or which of these animals live in trees. I mean, come on! And the options were birds, moles, cats and fishes. I know she is the representative for the Element of Kindness but... that was way too nice of her! Almost felt bad answering them", the griffon cackles as he takes a sip from his apple juice.  
"Yeah!", Yona agrees and giggles and so does the stallion next to her.  
"She said they would be a bit easier but that's was a cakewalk! Even more than Pinkie Pie's lesson when we literally walked over cakes to learn about their different textures. How is that even possible!?"  
The pony's giggle turns into a loud laughter and Yona joins him.  
 _Looks like he relaxed a bit. He was still very tense this morning but seeing him laugh like that... it feels really good... I hope it stays that way..."  
_ Gallus begins to smile as well as he watches his pony-friend enjoy himself. Sandbar notices his friend's glances and, much to the griffon's joy, gives him one of those beloved smiles. Gallus can hear how his heart beats faster, he can feel his entire body burning up and how an indescribable tickle covers it. A feeling he enjoys every single time and a feeling he wants to enjoy for the rest of his life. And, for a moment, he can swear he sees a hint of blush in the pony's face.  
But, sadly, the time flies by quickly and its time to get to the third floor. The three quickly finish their drinks and head for their destination, Yona leading the way and the two males following behind her next to each other.  
The exam goes exactly the way she explained and, after about three hours, every student had their turn with each sport and the numbers needed for the marks are written down. The first team sport was a game of Buckball, followed by a 250m sprint, high-jump, shot-put, rhythmic gymnastics and a few rounds of Dodgeball. The students had a thirty minute break before taking on the second half of the activities, which were 100m freestyle, long jump, climbing, triple jump and, for the last push, a relay race. Miss Rainbow Dash also explained that Headmare Twilight created a spell, which disables the use of magic and wings for the duration of the tests. That way cheating was impossible and every creature had, in theory, the same chances.  
"Not bad, not bad", the mare with the rainbow-colored mane mumbles as she goes over the results, "Most of you were even better than expected. A few slowpokes here and there but that's no biggie. Pretty sure all of you passed. But, for now, were done here... And I think this was the last test on your schedule so... You're free to go now."  
The students begin to leave the gym in a wave of movement and mumbles but her teachers stops them one more time, blowing into the whistle that hangs around her neck. The loud noise completely catches the students of guard, causing some of them to let out a shriek while others immediately turn around witch shocked expressions.  
"That... was louder than I wanted it to be...Hehe, sorry about that. Anyway, Twilight said she will make an announcement tomorrow around lunchtime so make sure you're either somewhere in or close to the school-building or in the dormitories so you don't miss it. Okay... Now I'm finished!"  
The crowd stares at her to make sure she doesn't use the whistle once more but, once they are sure that this is not the case, the mass of creatures begins to leave and, it doesn't take long until the three friends return to the first floor and head for the big entrance, which will serve them as an exit now.  
"No more exams! Freedom!", the female yak shouts as she jumps excitedly, "Yona wonders if the others are already done with theirs..."  
"Probably", Sandbar replies, "This exam took the longest so it wouldn't surprise me. I guess they already returned to the dorms. At least, that's what I will do after a nice, refreshing shower... I'm drenched!"  
The stallion wipes some sweat of his forehead and shakes his head a bit to dry his slightly wet mane.  
"You can say that again! Miss Rainbow Dash really pulled every single punch she had. Running, climbing, jumping, swimming... I can still feel the cramp in my claws that I got from climbing", the griffon adds as he shakes one of his claw to finally get rid of that feeling, "Gotta admit though, compared to the other tests, this was by far my favorite! Those question-answer-tests were boring but that was actually really entertaining."  
"You completely destroyed us at the high-jump, Yona! I had no idea you were that good at it!", the stallion goes into detail and Yona blushes a bit.  
The group reached their exit and fresh air surrounds them as they make their way towards the dorm buildings.  
"Well... Yaks are best at smashing. The higher yak jumps, the better it smashes. Gallus was best at climbing though! Really fast."  
Now the attention is on Gallus, who tries his best to keep his cool.  
"To be honest, it wasn't really that fair. Claws like these", the griffon raises the claw he shook and moves every single talon, "are way better at grasping and holding onto things than hooves. But, since Miss Rainbow Dash said only magic and flying were forbidden, I rolled with it. What I want to know is how can you swim so fast Sandy- Sandbar!? I never saw you move like that before."  
 _That was close! Luckily I corrected myself in time so Yona shouldn't have noticed_ , the griffon thinks to himself after he finished talking.  
The pony chuckles before he increases his walking speed a bit.  
"I'm just better than you, that's all", he says jokingly as he slowly increase the distance between them.  
"Sure, let's go with that", Gallus answers sarcastically as he slightly shakes his head.

After a few more jokes and laughs the trio reaches the fork and Yona follows the path leading to the females dormitory while Sandbar and Gallus follow the one that leads to the males'.  
"So... when do you want to come over?, the griffon asks his equine friend, who must have completely forgotten about the offer.  
"What? Oh! Right! I... I don't know... It could take a bit of time."  
"Doesn't matter. I need about an hour for showering and tidying up the room... So just come whenever you want to, okay? No pressure."  
Sandbar nods his heads for his room, therefore parting way with Gallus, who flies up the stairs and heads for his room, where he gathers all the stuff he needs for a nice and refreshing shower.  
A yellow-coated pony is currently brushing his teeth and, upon noticing Gallus, gives the griffon-boy a nod as a greeting.  
"Hey", he greets back before heading for the empty showers. Twenty minutes and a lot of warm water later he returns to find a different stallion, who is completely engaged in combing his dark ruby mane. Gallus takes a quick look at the mirror to check his feathers and, after making some corrections, leaves the area and returns to his room, which is surprisingly clean.  
 _Alright... half-an-hour or so left until Sandbar potentially shows up... And the room looks... good enough.  
_ He quickly scans the room for things he needs to throw away or store away but, besides a few crumbled up papers, two empty bottles and some wrappers, nothing catches his eye. It only takes a minute to take care of that and, still with a lot of time to spare, Gallus sits on his bed and begins to think about stuff that could be part of the upcoming conversation. A few things come to his mind but most of them aren't that surprising and he already spent enough time thinking about them so he tries to dig a bit  
deeper. Without noticing it, the griffon shifts from a sitting stance to a lying one but his body quickly shots up again when a knock resonates from the door.

 _He's here! Alright... calm down... We're just chilling, nothing big... As if...  
_ Gallus makes his way to the door and opens it, giving his expected pony-friend access to his room.  
"Hey, sorry for being late", Sandbar greets the other male as he steps inside and takes a look around. The pale-yellow wallpapered room looks more organized than the last time he has seen it but, to be honest, he didn't really pay much attention to it last time. He had other things to focus on.  
 _Late? How much late? Actually, it doesn't matter.  
_ "Don't worry. Make yourself at home", the feathered creature offers.  
Sandbar shows a faint, but genuine looking smile as he sits on the chair and, from there, watches the griffon-boy lower himself onto his bed again.  
"Even after the shower I'm still feeling sore... That was really something, huh?", Gallus tries to start a conversation but the lime-green coated stallion only answers with a single word, which severely lacks confidence.  
"Y-Yeah..."  
The griffon takes a closer look at his friend's face and immediately notices that a casual conversation can't take place until they dealt with the problem at hand.  
"Alright Sandy, I'm all ears. What is it you wanted to tell me? It's obvious you're still thinking about it so...", he raises his upper-body so that he is now in a sitting position and turns his body towards his friend, causing his legs to drop from the bed and stand firmly on the floor, "Tell me."  
A little bit of panic can be seen in the pony's eyes as he confronted with the problem but, after closing them for a few seconds and taking a deep breath, he works up the courage and begins.  
"You're right... I need to admit something. The thing is... well... I promised you that I would help you with your studies and you remember the problems we had, right?"  
The feather-covered creature nods.  
"After that... I talked to Miss Rainbow Dash and, well, to make it short, I realized in which way I could help you but... I had no idea how to do it so I just enjoyed the time with you until I figured something out... But, in the end, everything that happened were coincidences. You finding out about my hobby, being interested in it and wanting to try it was nothing I planned but... it helped me help you. That way I could teach you something about the art of sewing and fashion and, to be honest, I didn't need to teach you anything about generosity because you proved to me many times that you have it in you! I know not telling you about any of this was bad and I'm really ashamed..."  
Silence fills the room as the two males look at each other, one's impression telling a story of fear and shame while the other's reveals nothing.  
"So", Sandbar asks, "How... mad are you?"  
"Honestly", the griffon replies after a short break in which he adds the new information to the one he already stored in his brain from his own realization, "Not at all. You had a good reason for not telling me and, in the end, you really saved me with that so I can't possibly be mad at you. And it wasn't like everything we did was just because you needed to help me study, right?"  
"No!", the stallion almost shouts while jumping out of his seat, "Not at all! I had no idea how to help until you asked me about my hobby, I swear! So, you're not mad? Or disappointed or anything? You don't need to hold anything back, you know. Whatever it is, let it out. I can take it... I think."  
"You sure? Fine, if you say so."  
Gallus stands up and slowly moves in front of his buddy, who watches him without even a trace of doubt or fear on his mind. In one quick motion, Gallus embraces his friend in a hug, who is a bit shocked but quickly regains control of his body and hugs back.  
"Thanks Sandy, you're the best"  
"Says my number one student", the pony replies cocky and the two share a laugh, still holding each other for a few seconds before letting go. A hint of redness covers their faces when they finally release each other but Sandbar's focus changes onto something he notices out of the corner of his eye.  
"Isn't that the Aurora's Kiss? It sure is looking healthy! Look at it bloom. Even better than before!"  
He is completely fascinated by the flower's beautiful blossoms and doesn't notice Gallus, who's scanning the flower with a more confused than amazed impression.  
 _Now that he mentioned it... I never saw it bloom like that... Strange but Sandy is right, it looks nice... Oh damn! I forgot to give her water!  
_ Without saying a word he grabs the empty bottle he always uses and rushes out of the room, leaving Sandbar alone and confused for a short time before returning with a half-full bottle of clear water.  
"I didn't give her any water yet", he explains to Sandbar as he showers the plant in the refreshing liquid, "Here you go, buddy."  
"You sure are taking good care of your little friend", the pony says as he watches his griffon-friend tend to his flower, "No wonder it looks that healthy! You're really good with plants."  
"It's not that difficult and besides,", Gallus comments as he puts the now empty bottle back and returns to the windowsill, "You gave it to me so I don't want to lose it."  
Hearing that causes the pony to blush even more, which the flower reacts to by slightly intensifying the colors of it's blossoms.  
"You liked that, didn't you?", the griffon whispers with a chuckle after noticing the slightly changed blossoms.  
"That's... really sweet of you...", the pony mumbles while keeping his eyes locked on the male, who is still looking at his flower.  
"Did you say something?"  
Another wave of red coloration runs over the pony's face as he realizes what he just said and how lucky it is that his significant other couldn't hear it.  
"No! Not really! Wanna go for a snack? I could really need something to eat! I'm starving! My treat!"  
"Well... sure, food is always good and when you're paying even better! Let's go!"  
With that the two males leave the room and head for the cafeteria, not knowing what happens in Gallus' room. A faintly glowing light emerges from the flower.  
They stayed in the cafeteria for a while after they finished their meals and just talked about anything really. When they noticed how late it has become they decided to make their way back to the dorms, where they said goodbye to each other. Gallus immediately plunks into his bed the moment he locked the door and, without even realizing it, fell into a deep slumber.

Thanks to his late return he wakes up a bit later than expected, only a bit before lunchtime. The sun already covered some distance when Gallus notices it and the sky looks a bit more cloudy than the last few days but it still looks like it's gonna be a pleasant day. The griffon stays in bed for a bit and just enjoys the silence and the comfortableness of his own bed but a sudden voice gains his attention.  
"My dear Students of this School. Here is your principal, Twilight Sparkle. All exams are officially taken and our staff is currently busy with grading them. I am sure all of you passed so it won't take that long and I'm already looking forward to seeing your happy faces when you get your grades. But that's enough of that. For now, let us all forget about the stress and enjoy the last week of the semester and, to celebrate it the correct way, I asked Miss Pinkie Pie to take over this announcement."  
The sound cuts off and Gallus, who is now sitting on his bed, raises an eyebrow as he waits for the voice to return... Which it does, way louder than before.  
"ALRIGHT! LET'S PARTY!"  
Silence follows again as muffled voices can be heard before the voice returns but way quieter than before.  
"I mean... The preparation for the big Heart's Warming Dance is already in action and many volunteers are helping with the decoration, food, music and cleaning up so I want to thank all of you! Yay! You are AMAZING!We can always need help so, if you don't have anything else to do, JOIN US! The Dance will take place at evening on the day after today... which is tomorrow... at evening. That means when the little hand of the clock is at the bottom and the big one is at the top! And then... the party will go on forever! … Which means sunrise, if that is okay. Everyone is welcome and is also welcome to leave whenever they want. You can come alone, come with your best friends, with your normal friends or you could take this chance to ask your very special somepony out, it's the perfect opportunity! But no matter who you will come with or without, just come, have fun and enjoy the time... and NO PARTYPOOPERS! Be happy! That's all. Back to Twilight."  
Silence fills the school for the third time but, surprisingly, Pinkie Pie's voice returns.  
"Almost forgot! The Dance takes place in Town's Hall since it has the biggest hall in Ponyville. Okay, noooooow back to Twilight!"  
A short pause takes place before the alicorn's voice returns but Gallus' mind is drowning her out as it repeats the earth-mare's words over and over again.  
 _take this chance to ask your very special somepony out... take this chance to ask your very special somepony out... ask out... It's the perfect opportunity... No, I shouldn't, I couldn't. Then again... We did promise each other to be honest and he admitted everything and here I am, still hiding something and keeping it to myself! But... it's too risky! It could totally freak him out! I don't wanna ruin what we're having. Recently, we've been closer than ever before but maybe because of that it makes the most sense to tell him. Maybe he would understand it better... or the complete opposite could happen... ARGH! Why is this so freaking difficult! Why didn't they teach us anything useful about making decisions?! The only thing Twilight ever said about that was that a sign is always helpful but WHAT IS A SIGN? And what will it even say?! Why does EVERYTHING have to be a freaking riddle!  
_ Frustration reaches its peak as he buries both of his clenched claws as well as his face in his blanket and lets out a muffled groan of agony. It takes a bit of time until the griffon removes his face from its prison but only to go back to the pillow it rested on during the night.  
"... what should I do...", he asks mumbling and adjust his position a bit so he can see the pot of his plant, "What do you think? Should I ask him or not?"  
He knows a flower can't answer him but just asking it already helps him a bit so he repeats the question once more and adds a bit of details to it.  
"So? Any idea?"  
The flower doesn't answer... obviously but it still disappoints the male, who, with a grunt, gets up and grabs the bottle to fetch the daily portion of water.  
"I'll be right back... Think about it!", he shouts jokingly before leaving the room.

The hallway, unlike the former days, is filled with ponies talking, laughing and looking for something or someone and Gallus can already think what all the ruckus is about. Seeing all those smiles makes him even more nervous so he hurries into the closest restroom, which is luckily empty, and fills the bottle with water. He keeps the same speed when returning to his room and, in almost no time, he is back in his own four walls.  
"I kind of forgot how many ponies live here", he mumbles as he comes closer to the flower, which he carefully showers in the glistering liquid.  
"So, any ide-?", he asks with a chuckle but his voice dies when he notices something new in the pot. Two different colored stone-like objects, which are slightly covered in earth, appeared seemingly out of nowhere.  
Gallus, without noticing it, drops the luckily now almost empty bottle, which lands on the floor and rolls for a bit before stopping when hitting one of the desk's feet, and carefully picks up the two mysterious objects. The water washed the last stains away, revealing the objects' entire color spectrum. They are almost as big as a marble but only almost and not as round, more oval-shaped.  
 _What are those? Are those... seeds?Miss Applejack and Fluttershy showed us some seeds in their classes and they look pretty similar but I've never seen such colors!  
_ The griffon focuses more on the colors and notices something very strange. The seeds have completely different colors, which is not impossible bur very unlikely for flowers... Then again, this is a magic flower after all so who knows what is normal. One of them is a mixture of two shades of blue with seemingly random speckles ranging from a pale yellow to a very bright one while the other one combines three different shades of green, which Gallus immediately recognize.  
 _That's impossible... This looks like Sandy's mane... and his coat? How is that... Wait... And that one has the same blue as my wings and my feathers... and the yellow also fits in many ways! Okay... that is scary... but also crazy! Why are they here and... why do they look completely different from each other AND the flower that produced them?  
_ Gallus switches his focus between the two seeds in his claws and the flower while his mind browsers through his brain, hoping to find any information about the flower and, luckily, it finds something very helpful. The image of the mare that sold the flower appears in his mind and her voice begins to echo in his ears.  
 _That flower is called Aurora's kiss and it helps people to relax and find things that make them happy. It feeds on the happy feelings and thoughts of those around them and, when it collected enough happy energy or feels an immense amount of happiness, it releases it's seeds... find things that make them happy... Sandbar makes me happy... Wait! Is that one of those signs Twilight talked about?! It feels like a sign... Yeah... I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna ask him! And nothing will stop me!  
_ A new source of dedication fills the griffon who, after placing the seeds back in the pot, storms out of his room and, as soon as he has the hallway's ceiling above his head, rises into the air with one powerful flap of his wings, ready to dash down to the 1st floor. He reaches it in no time and only a few seconds later he stands in front of the stallion's door, ready to admit everything... but how?  
 _Okay... Deep breathes... Just say it and ask him to go to the Dance with you... Nothing can go wrong... Just be direct but not **too** direct and it will work out just fine!  
_The dedication he feels began to fade a bit as insecurity returned but he managed to push through, ready as ever to put his plan into action.

 **Knock Knock Knock**

A few seconds go by in which Gallus just waits for his target to open the door... but nothing happens.  
 _...Huh?  
_ He repeats the procedure but, again, no luck. His stomach begins to hurt a bit as an uncomfortable feeling begins to emerge from it. Could it be doubt?  
"Hey Sandy? You there? It's me, Gallus... I wanted to talk to you about something... Can you open the door?"  
"Sure... But could you let me unlock it first?", a voice, that does not sound like it would come from inside, answers followed by a chuckle.  
"S-Sandy?", the feather-covered male stutters, completely surprised by the pony's sudden appearance, "I thought- Why are you- … Where were you? I mean, of course!"  
While stammering those words with cheeks as red as peppers, he makes some space for Sandbar to unlock the door and trot inside.  
"Treating myself to something nice in the cafeteria. I even met Sil-"  
The pony stops mid-sentence when he notices the unusual behavior of his griffon friend. He seems to be less, well, Gallus-like.  
"You okay?", Sandbar asks in a more quiet and gentle tone, giving his question a worried ring, "Did something happen? You wanna lay down a bit?"  
"Me? Haha! No no no, I'm fine, totally cool."  
 _Wow... What happened to 'I can do it!'? Be a griffon and just ask him! Its not that hard! Hey Sandy, I was wondering if you want to go to the dance with me. This one, simple question... GO!_  
"Soooo", Gallus continues and he starts to rub the back of his neck while his eyes begin to take a look around the room, trying their best to ignore the beloved stallion in front of him,"I came here because I wanted to ask you something. Regarding the latest announcement. I was wondering"  
The words get stuck in his throat when his eyes meet Sandbar's questioning ones, erupting a volcano of fear and anxiety in the feathered male's brain.  
"Erm... How the food was? Is it worth going today?"  
Judging by the earth Stallion's reaction and the longer pause before he answers, that was not the question he expected.  
"Huh? Oh, well I, I", Sandbar stutters, "I liked it. They had good oatmeal and the apple pie was as fresh as ever but... Why would you ask me that? You had no idea that I went there. And how is that related to the Dance?"  
 _Exactly! What an idiot! Stop making stuff up and ask. The. QUESTION!_  
The griffon stares at him with a blank expression and widely opened eyes before he begins to laugh awkwardly. Sandbar, also a bit confused, joins the laughter for a few seconds before Gallus corrects himself.  
"Oh, you're right, hehe... I guess that question just popped into my head when you mentioned it. Hahaha... What I really wanted to ask was... Do you...-"  
 _want to go to the dance with me? As my date?_  
Again, he stops before completely changing the context of his question.  
"Have a needle I could borrow? I need it for... well... needling."  
 _You... have got to be kidding me.._.  
"...Sewing?", the pony corrects his friend, even more confused than before.  
"That. I need it for sewing."  
 _Yep... We blew it. Retreat to minimize damage!_  
"I...", the stallion, who is still a bit unsure about this whole conversation, takes a quick look around his room but he can't spot one right away, "don't see one right now. I cleaned my room right before the exams. Clean space, clean mind and all. I must have put them somewhere though... If you want I could quickly look for o-"  
"No no no, it's not that big of a problem. I'll find one eventually so... That's that! No more problem here. Back to my room for me Hehe... yeah... erm, See ya!"  
The griffon begins to slowly back up against the door behind him as he forms his reply and, immediately after finishing it, he pulls the door open and rushes out of the room, giving the stallion barely enough time for a single word.  
"W-Wait!"  
He takes a few steps towards the now empty entrance but, thinking that his friend is already gone, stops and continues to just stare at it. After a brief moment, he turns his attention towards his desk and its drawers. A thought runs through his head and an idea, like a light-bulb, begins to glow in his mind.

Directly after leaving Sandbar's room in a questionable rush, Gallus flies up the stairs to reach his own little kingdom as quickly as possible. Upon reaching his door, he violently pushes it open, causing it to hit the wall connected to its frame and to almost fall shut again, leaving just a little creek, and crash-lands in his bed, pressing his face into the pillow and letting all of his self-targeted frustration loose.  
" **Ahhhhh!** What for griffons' sake was that? A big portion of awkwardness, a pinch of stupidity and a whiff of embarrassment mixed with the worst choice of words in the history of Equestria!", the muffled voice goes on and on, creating a wet spot on the part of the pillowcase that aligns with his beak, before falling silent for a second, followed by the sound of air being sucked and immediately being exhaled again. Gallus, who is clearly not happy with how the situation compares to his original plan, lifts his head a bit before turning his whole body 180°, causing him to lay on his back now and facing the ceiling.  
"I had it, I knew the right words", he begins his monologue in his usual alone-in-my-closed-room volume, "but... asking him something like that in real life is completely different than playing it out in my head. And talking to a plant is a whole different case too!"  
He lifts his head and turns it a bit to get a better view of the pot on the windowsill before adding two words to his statement.  
"No offense..."  
Again, he drops his head onto the soft object and continues to stare at the ceiling while his thought continues his speech.  
 _That was so embarrassing! I was just rambling on and on about completely unimportant and unrelated stuff! And needling... NEEDLING?! We've been doing stuff like sewing day after day but all I can think of was needling? He must have thought I was a total idiot! Maybe it was a bad idea after all... Why did I even think I could do it? I should just forget about it and move o-_  
A cracking sound erupts not far from the griffon's position. A sound that manages to cut through his inner voice and silence it for a moment, long enough to gain the male's attention and causing him to raise his upper-body.  
 _W-What was that? Where did it come from? It sounded close... A bit too close for my taste...  
_ The griffon takes a look around, searching for any evidence of the sound's origin. Another similar sound reaches his ears, making localizing it a bit more easy.  
 _My... windowsill? Is the glass breaking? Or the pot? Or both?!  
_ Taken aback by the thought of something suddenly breaking, Gallus gets up from his bed to check for himself. The sound stopped after the second time, which calms the griffon's worries a bit but it still leaves him wondering what the sudden sound could have been. The window looks fine, the pot is completely unharmed and, as far as he can see, the seeds, not surprisingly, are without cracks as well but, to make sure, he first lifts up the pot and check the bottom for anything that could have created such a sound. He can't find anything that fits that description so he places the pot back on its spot as carefully as he can before focusing the little objects inside of it as they are the only things left.  
 _Oh no... Please be okay_ , the griffon thinks as he gently picks both of them up before investigating each of them separately. First the blue and yellow and then the green one but, just like the pot, both of them are without cracks of any sorts.  
 _They look fine... That's good...  
_ He keeps the green seed between two of his talons as he looks at it a few more times, slowly getting lost in its color scheme as he comes closer and closer.  
 _It really looks just like him...  
_ As thoughts and memories fill the griffon's mind, heat begins to spread in his body and the former thought of giving up completely vanishes from his mind. Instead, the old feeling of dedication and hope take its place. Its almost as if those seeds possess a secret power. A new ember begins to grow again, big enough to act like a candle in a dark room. Not big enough to reveal it entirely, but enough to be of help in discovering it.  
"No", Gallus begins another monologue in the same volume as before, "I don't know the concept of giving up and I'm not planning on learning it now! It was my first try after all. Princess Celestia wasn't able to raise the sun on her first try either but she never gave up and now look at her!"  
 _Wow, I really learned useful stuff here... Not bad!  
_ The griffon begins to recreate a situation in his head, trying his best to pay attention to the panic he felt and its cause.  
"Okay... Let's see... I will go down, knock on his door, enter his room and immediately ask: Sandy, I was wondering if you have any plans for the dance tomorrow? Then I'll wait and hope he says no so I can ask him if he wants to go with me. I'm sure he will be confused so, before he can even ask why, I need to give him a few reasons. Hmm... but there are so many! How can I decide? I shouldn't say strange things so maybe just normal stuff one would say in a situation like that would be a good idea… He is kind, reliable, smart and one of the most selfless creatures I know. He was the first creature ever that tried to be my friend and he always treats creatures equally, no matter what they are or who they come from. He really tries to see the good things in others... It's always fun spending time with him, no matter what we are actually doing."  
Gallus doesn't notice how his focus drifts further and further away while his eyes are glued to the beautiful little object in his claw, giving his mouth access to all of his thoughts.  
"Even doing completely nothing can be the time of my life when we're together. No matter how bad my day went, Sandy can easily turn it into a good one and... all of that and much, much more... I guess falling in love with you really was unavoidable..."

Suddenly, the sound of something hitting the ground echoes through the griffon's room and, a bit more quiet, the hallway. Gallus, who's eyes never dared to lose the seed out of their sight, immediately disconnect from it and look for the noise's source, which is very quickly discovered. There, right in his door-frame, a pale lime-green coated young earth-stallion with a moderate cyan and brilliant arctic blue mane and tail stands with a dropped jaw and wide eyes. An open box filled with a pair of scissors, a few sewing needles and reels of differently colored thread lays on the floor directly in front of him. A few of the reels spilled bounced out of the box when it landed, now laying next to it.


	14. Path 1: Birds of different Feathers

**Full title: Birds of different Feathers can still fall in Love**

 _S-S-Sandy!? What is he doing here? What's the stuff in the box for? When did he get in and how? I didn't hear the door... I closed the door, right? Shoot, I don't think so! Or maybe I did? I don't remember! And why... is he looking at me like tha-a-a-AHHHH! Did he hear me? Was I that loud? Of course he did! That's a disaster! How... How much did he hear? Not all of it, right? Yeah, I'm sure he heard only parts of it! Or maybe he really heard nothing. Calm down! Nothing to worry about, nothing to worry about Gallus... No, I'm doomed! Okay, okay... We can fix it, we can fix it! Just play it cool... Actually, no. I. am. doomed._  
As the thoughts flood his brain like water floods a valley after the local dam broke, his body completely tenses up, leaving him almost paralyzed as the only movement he is able to show is a faint quivering as his mind begins to drift into more uncomfortable territory. As a result of that loss of control and the slight shaking, the object between his talons slowly escapes his grip and drops to the floor. It ricochets a bit before suddenly rolling slowly but surely across the room until it bumps into the stallion's hoof, killing its momentum entirely. During its entire journey, the eyes of the two males are glued to it, following it all the way from start to finish. Upon reaching the pony, Gallus immediately averts his eyes again, focusing on the plant in front of him. The other seed remains in his now clenched fist. Sandbar, who was completely still ever since dropping the box, eventually picks the little object up with his hoof and brings it closer to his face. He stares at it for moment, takes in the colors and the different hues it portrays, before refocusing his eyes on the griffon across from him. His mind is busier than a rain cloud that tries to replant a dessert and keep it green. With an inconspicuous smile, Sandbar slowly but steadily moves closer and closer to the griffon, who is just about to wrap up his inner planning session, ready to go along with whatever he came up with. A few steps away Sandbar stops, seemingly arguing with himself how he wants to start a conversation.  
"H-Hey Gallus, didn't mean to startle you."  
Upon hearing the pony's voice, he turns around with an obviously put-on surprised reaction.  
"Oh! Sandy, when did you get here? I totally didn't notice you come in or being here or anything. I was too busy taking care of... some things. Like... watering the flower! Gotta drink to stay healthy and green, right?"  
 _Okay... Distracting him from something he could have possibly heard was the plan but babbling nonsense was not what I had in mind. Anyway, let's just hope it works!  
_ A bit put off by the griffon's strange reaction, Sandbar just disregards it as his head making it look more unusual than it really sounds and looks and, with a nervous chuckle, he agrees with his friend.  
"Well... Yeah, a flower's gotta drink to stay green and bloomy... Speaking of that! Here, I found it on the floor."  
He holds out the hoof with the seed, trying to return it to the male who lost it.  
"Oh yeah! That pretty San- seed, seed! Such nice colors, right? It must have fallen fo- I mean, it must have fallen down and roll around a bit. Thanks", Gallus says with a slightly shaky voice as he stares a bit at the seed before taking it and putting both of them back in the pot.  
 _Damn it! Keep it together Gallus! Distract him, not remind him!  
_ "Hey... um", the pony attempts to say something but his volume turns into a quiet mumble as soon as he started, making the rest that he says completely incomprehensible.  
"Huh?", the griffon reacts to the voice behind him and he takes a peek over his shoulder, "Did you say something?"  
The stallion's face shows a hint of nervousness as he takes a few seconds to collect his thoughts and weighs the risks and the reward of asking. The risk seem low as the worst thing he can think of is Gallus just saying no.  
"I promise I didn't mean to eavesdropping or anything but", he asks as he scratches the back of his head with his hoof, "were you, by any chance, talking about something a moment ago? I could have sworn I heard you."  
Hearing this verifies the griffon's fear, who immediately begins to panic and, almost with a jump, turns around to face his classmate.  
"I-I-I-I wasn't talking, not at all! Maybe you heard me whistling. I do that sometimes when I'm busy. See."  
Out of sheer panic, the griffon tries to demonstrate what he meant but... completely forgot that he can't pipe at all. One would think that someone with a beak would be able to do that... but no. Birds are good at it, griffons, or at least this griffon, not so much apparently.  
 _Stop! No whistling!  
_ He immediately stops and scratches the back of his head, embarrassed and a bit red around the beak.  
"Or maybe you heard me humming. It can sound like mumbling but it's not."  
"Hmm but I... I guess... Maybe I just heard wrong", the stallion gives up in defeat as he lowers his head a bit, realizing that his mind must have played a trick on him.  
The voice he heard was pretty quiet after all. Maybe he was really just humming and his mind created the sounds he wanted to hear. At least that is the explanation his mind is coming up with. Gallus, glad that he was able to get out of this dilemma, is caught off-guard when he hears a hint of disappointment in the earth-stallion's voice. Not the usual kind of disappointment one has when getting something wrong. It sounds like he is really sad about something.  
 _What is wrong? Why is he so bummed out? Maybe... no! That's impossible... right?  
_ "Yeah, that must have been it. Sorry for that weird misunderstanding... Anyway, I brought something for you. You said you wanted to sew something so I searched and brought you a few things that could be helpful. Let me just get them."  
Sandbar, hoping to move on from that incident, turns around and trots towards the box on the floor. There, he kneels down and begins to put the reels of thread back where they belong. Gallus is too busy thinking about the possibility this situation provides and the idea of a sign springs back into his memory.  
 _He heard me, I'm sure of it! And his reaction... as if he was disappointed it did not happen. It sounds completely insane but maybe... that's the sign I was waiting for! Sandbar randomly showing up and overhearing my confession must mean something. This gotta be it! Now or never, Gallus! Stop being a chicken and start being a griffon, at least once in your life! But I should ease into it before getting to the point. I could be wrong after all. Baby steps... baby steps... And I think I already have an idea how to...  
_ After finishing this thought, he joins the now kneeling pony and begins to help him packing the box again.  
"Say... Just out of curiosity. What did you think I said? You got me a bit curious there", Gallus tries to revive the topic as he stands next to him and also takes on the of the reels into his claw.  
"Oh! N-Nothing big! Just something silly, not worth mentioning", Sandbar tries to dodge the topic by increasing his speed of picking up things, his cheeks now colored in a deep red.  
"If it were that you wouldn't have asked. Come on, I want to know... Here's a deal. Lets do it this way. I will tell you something in return. I'll even start, okay?"  
Without even giving a time window big enough to think about it and answer, the griffon begins to admit something he tried to keep hidden the entire time, hoping that he made the right choice and understood the signs correctly.

"I... lied. About sewing something. And you were right... Maybe I was talking to myself a little bit... But I want to know what you heard."  
Hearing those words gives the pony a glimmer of hope, one that can be seen glistering in the green eyes as they grow a bit bigger. Not knowing what to say or think now, he stays silent for a moment before swallowing the stone in his throat and finally speaking up.  
"It's probably stupid and completely wrong but I thought I heard you... mention me and... well... How much you enjoy spending time with me and stuff. Crazy, right?"  
It is quite obvious that talking about that embarrasses the pony, who with each pause lowers his head more and more, averting his eyes until the only thing they can hear is the ground. The redness of his cheek has now taken over his entire face and ears, making it impossible to miss.  
"Huh... Really? Interesting... Anything else?", Gallus acts as if he has no idea what the pony is talking about.  
"Well... there was something else but... that must have been my imagination...", the stallion answers but he stops and falls silent so Gallus´decides it's time to take over and reveal the last piece of the already revealed puzzle.  
 _I guess he heard it anyway so let's not play around anymore and get to the point. This is even more torture than it was to keep it hidden!_  
"That I had no other chance but to fall for you?"  
After the last word was spoken, the equine's face abruptly turns, facing the griffon who lowered himself to be on the exact same level, looking straight into the pony's eyes.  
"Was that what you heard?", the griffon asks and receives a weak nod, one that is barely noticeable but thanks to the lack of distant the movement is obvious enough.  
"Guess no misunderstandings after all. You missed the part where I was created a plan to ask you to go the Dance with me though. And since that didn't turn out the way I thought it would ...I'll ask you now. Sandy, do you want to go to the Dance with me... together?"  
 _Okay... That's it. Now he will either hate and avoid me or... the impossible will happen.  
_ The pony in front of him doesn't move a bit or react in any way. If It weren't for the blinking, one could think that he got replaced by a wax figure. Getting no reaction makes the griffon, who just used all of his courage to go this far, more and more nervous, causing his heart to beat faster and harder than it already did.  
"Us... two...", Sandbar begins to mumble as his eyes, once again, lose focus and move towards the ground, "Me and Y... Together? Together together?"  
"I mean... Y-Yes?", Gallus answers, not knowing if the question was targeted at him or just a question thrown out with no real destination at all.  
The focus of the eyes return and, when looking closer, he notices how they begin to sparkle... but not the usual sparkle he sees in them. A sparkle similar to sunlight being reflected by a water surface.  
 _W..water? Is he... oh no!  
_ "Hey, hey, hey! Sandy, no need to cry! If you can't do that, that's fine, really. I shouldn't have put you in that"  
"... yes..."  
"stupid situation in the first place. No wonder you feel pressured and uncomfortable. It's just a stupid Dance anyway! Let us just for"  
"Yes... yes..."  
"get about it and pretend like all of this never happened, oka-"  
Suddenly, one hoof covers the griffon boy's beak and the other one moves behind his head to pull him a bit closer, finally getting him to shut up an listen."  
"Gallus! … Yes."  
 _W...What... did he just say...  
_ "Y...Yes?"  
"Yes... I'd like that. I mean, going to the Dance... with you"  
That, in his eyes, pretty unlikely outcome, even though he hoped for it to be true, catches the griffon by surprise, making it incomprehensible at the moment.  
 _He said... yes. He said yes...  
_ "That's... cool. Yeah, cool."  
It takes a bit before the information is completely analyzed and stored in his brain but, the moment it is completed, his real emotions burst out.  
"Yes! He said yes!", Gallus shouts as he spreads his wings and soars around a bit, even leaving his room for a moment to shout out a loud and joyful cheer... that gains him a few funny looks from the ponies who are walking by or just standing around. He answers those with an awkward grin as he disappears in his room again, closing the door this time. The moment the door is closed, he rushes to the giggling pony and hugs him tightly, a hug that the pony answers immediately.  
"That stuff about signs and stuff is actually true! I can't believe the flower was right!", the griffon mumbles to himself, not realizing that the pony right next to him can hear every single word.  
"Um... what does that mean?"  
"Oh nothing! I'm just talking nonsense because I can't believe that this is actually happening. So... How does it work? Do we meet up before? Should I come to your room to get you or do you want to get me? That's important because what happens if we miss each other on our way to get the oth-"  
"Don't overthink it", Sandbar tries to calm his date down as he lets go of him and looks into his eyes with a gentle smile, "I'll come here and get you and then we can go to the Dance."  
"Okay"  
"Great! I'm really looking forward to it... Oh! I need to talk to Silverstream."  
"Silverstream? What for?"  
"Didn't I tell you? I met her in the cafeteria and talked about all of us going as a group and it sounded like a good plan. But this is way better! So I need to tell her about this so she can tell the others that we're going together and not with them. See you tomorrow, okay?"  
 _Wait! No! It was difficult enough to let him know about this. I'm not ready for others to know about this as well!_  
The pony gives the griffon a peck on his cheek before making his way towards the exit but, thanks to someone holding his tail, he can't quite reach it.  
"W-W-Wait! Is that really necessary? I mean, we can still go with them and go together, right?"  
That idea confuses the stallion quite a lot.  
"I... can't really follow. You just asked me to be your date for the Dance, right? Because you have a crush on me."  
The griffon nods.  
"And I said yes because... well, you know. I like you too so we should tell the others about it, right?"  
Gallus, who is busy thinking about it all, does not react to that question which worries the pony, who asks again.  
"Right? Gallus? Is... something wrong?"  
"Well", the feather-covered creature tries to explain but falls silent again.  
 _That's dumb! Here I am thinking about being brave and to stand by my feelings but in reality I am terrified! Get a hold of yourself Gallus! Who cares what other creature think! … Me, I do... No, I just can't do it...  
_ "Don't you want to tell them?"  
Gallus nods, ashamed of what he just admitted but, surprisingly, the pony asking the questions does not seem a bit upset.  
"Oh... Well", Sandbar thinks about it for a second and, after taking a second look at the sulking griffon, tries to cheer him up, "That's okay, really. To be honest, I had no idea how I would have brought it up anyway. I can barely understand what happened right now! My brain is a complete mess but in a good way! Maybe we should really wait with announcing it and all. After all, this is a big change for both of us."  
Hearing that helps Gallusa lot and the fear and shame he felt completely disappears, creating a smile on his face. Sandbar answers this smile but it disappears when his brain notices something really interesting.  
"With that in mind, choosing the Dance, one of the school's most public events, as our first date is... a really strange choice."  
 _I... never thought of that... but now that he mentions it I see the problem... I should have thought about that a bit more but it sounded so important and just perfect!At least Sandy feels the same way about making it public this early... That makes me feel a bit better about myself.  
_ "So", the griffon asks, "You would be okay with keeping it to ourselves for now? If not, you can tell me."  
"I told you already that I don't mind", the stallion responds as he comes closer, "The only thing that matters is the thought and, for me, that means I get to go with you, as my date, to the Dance... So don't worry about it, okay? I'll see you tomorrow."  
Once again, he gives the griffon a peck but this time on the other cheek before heading for the door. Gallus, unlike the first time, does not try to stop him, instead he just gazes after him until the door closes. The moment it falls shut, he leaps into the air and lands back-first on his bed, taking in the entire scene that just played out in his head, in reality and his heart.  
 _I... can't believe it... I'm having a date with Sandy...  
_ Just thinking about it feels like he was dreaming it all. All of it was completely overwhelming. For the rest of the day he can't get the conversation, and the feeling of stress, fear, relief and pure happiness he felt during it, out of his head. Over and over the scene plays in his mind, sometimes skipping parts and sometimes, for whatever reason, adding something he wished he had said but in the end the original always returns, burning itself deeper and deeper into his long-term memory. Even in the night he finds himself thinking about it, not managing to get any rest for at least half of the time he could spend in dreamland but, eventually, the exhaustion, that built up throughout the day, reaches its peak and forces the griffon into a deep slumber.

The griffon's body, which spends most of the time completely under the sheets, begins to break out of its self-made cocoon until the face is completely visible again. Slowly, but steadily, his azure eyes open and, unwillingly, let in rays of light, which, upon reaching his rod cells, cause an unpleasant sensation. Another factor that plays into his unwanted awakening is the sound of hooves running across the hallway and several different voices reaching into his room in different volumes. After grunting a bit and rolling over, he pulls the bed sheets back over his head and tries to fall asleep again but his body already agreed to the idea of waking up and, shortly after realizing that, his mind surrenders as well. With another, louder grunt he completely uncovers himself and gets up. Luckily, it does not take long for him to remember what day it is and his moody self gets replaced by anticipation with a hint of nervousness. He tries his best to forget his worries and, like every day, decides to take care of his botanic friends.  
"Hey little buddies", he greets the flower and the two seeds inside of the pot and, upon closer observation, notices something interesting. The flower's petals seem to look more vibrant than before. He is not sure completely sure about that though. Then again, it wouldn't surprise him. Sandbar mentioned something like that yesterday as well. He does not pay enough attention to it though because the things that really catch him off-guard are the two seeds which, in comparison to yesterday, seem way bigger. Before the were the same size as jelly beans but now they come close to the kidney beans they sometimes serve in the cafeteria.  
 _Wow! What happened here? How did they grow that much? Maybe it was the water yesterday? But there wasn't anything different with it... Something must have happened thought! I mean-  
_ Gallus thinks to himself as he carefully grabs the blue-yellow bean and places it between two of his talons. It is bigger, no doubt.  
 _Yeah... Something happened for sure. But I got no time to worry about that as long as they don't grow any bigger or else I'll need to find them a place to stay in. Now that I think about it... I should bury them soon so they can sprout.  
_ He places the object back where it belongs and grabs the bottle next to the pot, the same one he used yesterday, to fill it with water. After leaving his room he notices quite a few ponies loitering around in the hallway, laughing or talking to each other. Some of them are already wearing clothing appropriate for an event like the Dance and, upon entering the restroom, he finds two more stallions who are busy styling their mane. One of them uses his magic to tie his dark-green mane into braids while the other one tries to straighten his usually curly teal and golden tail so it matches his now straightened manestyle. While walking past them to get to a free tap, Gallus thinks about how he could style his own feathers for the night or if he should even style them in the first place.  
 _Maybe I could push them down a bit? Or I could... I have no idea. I'll think about it later? Still surprised that some ponies are already doing that in the morning though. Strange way but who am I to judge. Maybe that's a pony thing or something like that."  
_ He fills the bottle and immediately returns to his room.  
"I'm back! Here", the griffon greets his plant as he slowly showers the three in the crystal clear fluid but, upon emptying it completely, something else catches his attention.  
His stomach begins to growl and he remembers that he barely ate yesterday. He visited the cafeteria but he was only able to eat an apple before his body became sick of it. Who could blame him though. A lot has happened after all. But now his body aches for it and he surely doesn't mind. After saying goodbye to his friends and opening the window a bit to let some fresh air into the room, he rushes down the stairs and out of the building. On his way he meets a few of the classmates he saw during their exams but no one he talks to on a regular basis. The garden area is empty and the cafeteria itself isn't that crowded either. Only five or six ponies are eating something while two more are standing in line to pay for the food they picked out. After a bit of thinking, he snatches one of the sandwiches, one of his beloved griffonscones as well as a cup of apple juice. After paying for it he sits down and enjoys the meal, thinking about how the Dance will be and, once again, pondering what he should do with his feathers. Without really paying much attention to anything, his eyes wander across the room and inspect the things he sees like a group of stallions, who are returning their empty trays, or Coconut Shell, who is preparing more sandwiches. The last thing he sets his eyes on is the clock that hangs on the wall, and, upon noticing the hands, stops everything he does and hurries to return the empty plate, the half-eaten apple and the empty cup. The short hand barely left the five while the longer one just passed the two. Only 50 minutes left until the whole thing starts and panic begins to take effect. Immediately after placing the tray down, he speeds out of the school-building and through the garden area, aiming for the dorms.

 _How can it be that late already? I just woke up! Most likely because I had problems falling asleep last night... But waking up THIS late? With only 50 minutes? I have to get ready, style my feathers, get dressed AND get to the location. Not to mention Sandbar wanted to get me so he will come even earlier. No time to waste!_

A soon as he enters the dorm building, he takes flight and soars up the stairs and through the hallway, dodging ponies left and right. After landing in front of and opening his door, he enters his room. Immediately after that, he closes the door again and heads for the closet, opening it with a powerful pull. He scans the inside for a black shirt he knows he stores here, perfect for something like that and, after searching for a bit he finds it buried under the winter coat he never used.  
 _Okay, a bit wrinkly but I can fix that in notime. Now... I need a jacket or something like that and a tie! I'm sure I had stuff like that around here somewhere...  
_ He continues his search but, much to his annoyance, the jacket remains lost. He even begins to doubt that he even packed it in the first place.  
 _I think... maybe I left it with Grandpa Gruff back at Griffonstone. It was old anyway and... dusty. But what now? I have nothing else here except for that winter coat and that thing is way too uncomfortable! I will sweat to death before even making it there. But what else can I do?  
_ He grabs the other two pieces of clothing and takes them with him to his bed, upon which he lays them. That's when he notices something peeking out from under his covers and his eyes begin to glow as he remembers.  
 _Of course! The jacket! How could I even forget that?  
_ Overtaken by joy, he removes the covers and takes the piece of clothing, which looks just as good as it did the day he got it, into his claws.  
 _Guess Sandy must have really good intuition. He saved me! That jacket will look so good with the rest. But before that-  
_ He carefully places the dark-gray piece of clothing next to the others.  
 _I should get ready.  
_ With a goal in mind, Gallus grabs his toothbrush, leaves his room again and heads for the restroom, which is a bit more crowded than before but luckily there are enough tabs so he can begin to wash his face and brush his teeth. After that he begins to focus on the feathers on his head and begins to imagine ways of styling them. He has a few ideas and tries them out but none of them are to his liking and, to save a bit of time, he decides to keep them for now and get busy with his clothing. He can come back later and take care of them when he has an idea. After entering his room again, he begins to unbutton the shirt while he asks himself how much time must have passed by now. Then again, he did not see Sandbar outside when he came in or left the restroom so it shouldn't be that late yet. In no time his upper body is concealed in the soft fabric of the shirt. The next thing on his plan is the white and black striped tie he found and after that the jacket follows suit. The moment he begins to button up, a knock on the door can be heard and the voice of his stallion enters his room.  
"Hey Gallus! I'm here! Are you ready to go?"  
 _He's here! And I'm not done yet! Just calm down and tell him that you're almost done. No panic.  
_ "Almost! Give me a few minutes."  
"S-Sure! No problem but could I come in? Standing out here just waiting is a bit... awkward."  
"Of course. It's not locked, just come in."  
Immediately after saying those words, he hears the door opening and close accompanied by the sound of steps. Gallus, who is still busy with the last two buttons, is completely focused on his task but, suddenly, he hears the stallion's voice mumbling something, though he doesn't let that distract him. After finishing up, he turns his attention towards the pony and, upon scanning him quickly, looks at him with wide eyes and a slightly dropped jar. The pony in front of him is wearing a dark gray jacket with a matching a white shirt and a dark greenish bow tie that completes the look.  
 _He looks... amazing...  
_ "You look great!", the griffon comments on his partner's look at the same time as Sandbar compliments him.  
"You look great!"  
The two males blush after noticing the awkwardness in their exchange and both chuckle a bit before Gallus goes more into detail.  
"That jacket looks really good on you! And your mane looks great!"  
The usually slightly messy mane looks a bit more neat, not much but enough for Gallus to notice and that means something. Even Sandbar is a bit surprised by that.  
"Oh come on. I just combed it a bit and all that. Nothing big but thanks", Sandbar thanks him as he blushes, "I like how your feathers look too."  
 _My... feathers?  
_ Gallus touches the longer feathers on his head and ruffles them a bit while explaining.  
"Oh, I didn't do them yet. I thought about combing them back or flattening them a bit or-"  
"I... like them this way."  
 _Attention please! Cancel all plans! Everything stays the way it is.  
_ "Oh", the griffon-boy stammers as he moves his claws downwards until he reaches the back of his neck, scratching it, "In that case, I'm done."  
A bigger smile appears on the pony's face as he hears that, a smile that makes the other creature's heart skip a beat. To hide his nervousness, Gallus begins to pull and tug at the jacket, trying to fix it and make it look as neat as possible.  
"I... You look really good in that", the earth-pony acknowledges the griffon's pleasing appearance and, hearing that, Gallus stops and looks at him.  
"You know what they say. Fine feathers make a fine bird", he returns the praise in a way that causes the pony to giggle.  
"More than fine...", the pony mumbles under his breath before snapping out of his trance and, a bit embarrassed, begins a new topic, "Should we get going? I promised Silverstream we would meet her and the girls at the bridge so we can all go together."  
"Just a moment."  
The pony watches his date go towards the windowsill and spend a few seconds there before returning to him.  
"Do you need to water it?", he asks upon his return.  
"Already done that."  
"Then what did you do? Say goodbye?"  
 _Yes. Yes, I did_  
The griffon does not answer. Instead, he grabs the door handle and pulls it wide open, holding it so his partner can pass through.  
"After you."

The hallway is completely empty now, most likely because most of the ponies already left to get to the party while the remaining few are still getting ready.  
 _Maybe dressing and everything took longer than I thought. But... I could use that chance before we meet the others.  
_ The griffon takes a quick look around and, after making sure they are the only creatures on the hallway, spreads one of his wings and gently puts it on the pony's back, who is a bit surprised by that.  
 _Was... was that okay? Was that too abrupt?  
_ He looks at Sandbar's face, who takes a quick glance at his back before sneaking a peak at the creature to his right, whose face is colored in a dark shade of red. He doesn't say anything except smiling with rosy cheeks, which soothes Gallus' worried mind. He enjoys the feeling of the pony's body and the way his coat brushes against his feathers but, upon reaching the staircase he pulls it back, leaving both of them with an aftertaste of disappointment. He can't risk anyone being down there and seeing it. His worries are justified as a few ponies stand near the entrance of the building, most likely waiting for somepony. As the two males passes them, Sandbar greets the group and they greet him back. After exiting the building, they make their way to the school building and, eventually, they reach the bridge. Four figures of completely different sizes and shapes can be seen standing on the other side of it. Suddenly, one of them begins to move.  
"There they are!", Silverstream's voice erupts and the Hippogriff takes to the sky before dashing into their direction. Out of fear of being tackled to the ground, Gallus spreads his wings and grabs the pony next to him, raising him into the sky the same way he carried him when they went on that picnic. The female, who is completely surprised by that, dashes past their former location but eventually slows down. The griffon lowers himself and his friend again, carefully putting him down to not mess up his look, who thanks him in return.  
"Sorry, I guess I got a bit too excited", Silverstream apologizes with an awkward laughter and the three of them join the rest of the group at the end of the bridge. The female hippogriff is wearing a pale turquoise one shoulder dress with a pale lilac wave design and a similarly colored shawl covering her shoulders .  
"Pony and griffon!", Yona, who is wearing a black ball gown with matching ribbons in her hair, greets the two as they arrive.  
"You are just in time."  
"Great, great, they are here. Now can we please get going? The less time I need to spend in this rags the better."  
Ocellus, who is wearing a pink and orange strapless dress, and Smolder, who looks quite displeased in her dark red jumpsuit with a matching black belt and jacket, also join the conversation.  
"Getting there early does not shorten the time you will spend in this outfit", the Changeling comments her reptilian friend's remark but she does not seem to care.  
"In public, it does!"  
"And in front of the school is better?"  
"I think you look good in it", Sandbar compliments the dragon, who is caught up in her verbal argument with Ocellus, and Gallus agrees with him on that.  
"It suits you. I couldn't imagine you in a dress anyway."  
The scaly female, embarrassed by her friends' words, turns away and begins to walk, setting her target on Town Hall while ordering the rest of the group to follow.  
"Come on already! We don't want to be late."  
The other five laugh as they also begin their decently long walk. It takes them about fifteen minutes to get there but when they arrive, they notice that many other ponies just arrived as well and the clock on the tower nearby shows that they still have three minutes to spare.  
"Looks like the entire school is here!", Silverstream shouts out in joy as she sees the ponies walking up the stairs and entering the building.  
"Yona sees far less", the Yak challenges her friend's comment but an argument secures the hippogriff the win.  
"Of course not out here. But imagine how many are already inside! The whole school!"  
"Only one way to find out. Let's head inside", Sandbar proposes and, after agreeing, the group walks up the stairs and passes through the open double door.

The interior is beautifully decorated with balloons, streamers and garlands in green, red and gold, which are the typical Hearth's Warming Eve colors. A few balloons of different colors are also present, most likely to either give a bit more variety or maybe there were no more green, red or gold ones left. The first thing that the group notice is a row of tables with red tablecloths and a stack of plates on the far left side. The remaining space is covered by dozens of delicious looking dishes reaching from vegetables and fruits to sandwiches to cupcakes, pies and other treats. The rightmost table seems to be solely for drinks as multiple jugs filled with different liquids were placed in a row behind stacks of white paper cups and a can filled with red and green drinking straws. Right next to them is a big glass bowl with something that could be fruit punch. The next thing that catches their eyes is a fairly small but festively decorated stage with a curtain that makes it look even smaller than one would expect and two microphone stands with microphones already attached to them.  
"What's that for?", Gallus asks and Ocellus quickly answers.  
"Knowing Principal Twilight, she will most likely hold a quick speech before the Dance officially begin so I guess that's what this is for."  
"Makes sense", Yona agrees and the six of them lose interest in the unexpected structure.  
They take a quick look around and find an open space, which will most likely be used as a dance floor, as well as many round tables with different amount of chairs around them, ranging from three to eight. A few of them are already taken but more than enough are still vacant so the group claims one of the ones with six chairs for themselves. Gallus grabs the one next to Sandbar and Smolder, who is sitting next to Yona. Silverstream sits down next Yona as well and Ocellus, who takes the remaining seat between Silverstream and Sandbar.  
"Hall looks so pretty!", Yona praises the work of the students who decorated the place and Sandbar agrees with her.  
"Must have been a lot of work! Usually none of these tables are here so they must have brought them here one by one."  
"Really? That's unbelievable! And look at all that food! I can't wait to dig in."  
Silverstream licks the top of her beak and rubs her belly, implying that hunger is slowly building up inside of her.  
"Yona soooo hungry", the female Yak agrees, also licking her lips as she eyes the tables.  
In the meantime, more and more ponies enter the building and a few different groups form. One of them is busy looking at the decoration while a different one is splitting into smaller groups as they look for tables with enough chairs. The biggest one, almost double as big as the other two, is busy taking in the prepared feast, one dish at a time. Gallus takes a look around and notices that the latest guest really made the room look more crowded and now it really comes close to what Silverstream said before.  
"The whole school must be here now", he says without really meaning to say anything at all but, after a very short pause, he receives an affirmation from the stallion next to him.  
"Yeah, so many familiar faces and they are all wearing such great outfits!"  
Gallus leans over as he hears those words and whispers just loud enough for the pony to hear.  
"The still can't hold a candle to you."  
"Says the griffon who can", Sandbar, who blushes, replies in the same matter and those words manage to get the griffon to mimic him. Luckily the dim lights in the hall die only a few seconds later, making it impossible for the other creatures at the table to see the reddish hues. I seems like the hosts of this event had the same impression of the situation because those eight creature are climbing up the stairs and appear on the stage, ready to start the party. A spotlight bathes the seven mares and the one dragon in pleasant warm white light. Principal Twilight Sparkle, Secretary Spike and Guidance Counselor Starlight Glimmer build the front line while the remaining five mares stand behind them. The horns of the two unicorn mares begin to glow in their respective color and each of them begins to detach one of the two microphones and brings them closer to their mouths.

"Welcome to our school's first ever Hearth's Warming Dance, a tradition we wish to repeat every year from now on!", the alicorn mare greets her students, who answer with a hearty applause.  
"We hope the months you spend here brought all of you closer together and taught you important life lessons but also gave you time to experience that Friendship is not something one can learn by simply reading a book about it."  
"She should know best. She tried it", Spike uses the little pause to add something to the mix.  
The crowd of students laugh and even Twilight can't help but giggle.  
"I sure did but I soon realized that it was impossible. And not only just Friendship! In fact, none of the Elements of Harmony can be mastered without making your own experience with them."  
"The last few months", Starlight Glimmer takes over, "I've seen friendships form and blossom and it reminded me of the second chance my friends gave me when I wasn't that knowledgeable about Friendship myself. As your Guidance Counselor, I also saw the difficult times you, our dear students, had to go through and we were not always able to solve the problem in our first try. But seeing you fight for it by bettering yourself every single day and forgiving others without holding grudges"  
She pauses as she begins to sniffle a bit, trying her best to hold herself together. She gains a sympathetic aww from he crowd which causes the unicorn mare to chuckle a bit.  
"Hehe, sorry every creature. It's just so beautiful to see how well you embrace the idea of friendship and your will to uphold it is inspiring. It makes me wish I had someone who taught me about it when I was your age... but I guess I am living proof that it's never to late to change for the better as long as someone believes in you and helps you along the way."  
After finishing the sentence, Twilight gives her friend a hug as they both shed a tear, resulting in another aww from the mass of students. The other six mares now trade places with the the creatues and Rarity uses her magic to take the microphone from Twilight, changing the color of the magic aura that surrounds the object in the process.  
"Thank you Spike, Twilight and Starlight for those lovely words", the unicorn with the white coat begins, "We, as your teachers, had the pleasure and the honor of watching you change into the creatures that are standing here today. We all know that no one is ever finished with learning as a whole and Friendship is no exception to that but we, the whole faculty, are certain that all of you are on the best way of becoming outstanding examples for the generation to come! We could not be prouder of all of you, no matter how the results will be."  
Many of the students feel how joy and sentimentality builds up in their hearts as they listen to her teacher's lovely words. Suddenly, Pinkie Pie snatches the microphone and reveals some information about the results of the exams and when the students can expect the results.  
"We will try our best to grade all of your papers as fast as possible so you can expect them to be handed back to you within the next four days, early enough for all of you to go home and spend the holiday with your family without worrying about whether you failed or passed. Do not worry, we are sure none of you failed in the first place so cheer up! Back to you, Rar!"  
After finishing her part, she puts the microphone back into the magic aura, which still hangs in the air where the microphone was snatched from, and, a bit baffled, the unicorn continues.  
"Y... Yeah, that was something we wanted to talk about as well. But let us not waste any more time with talking and let's start having fun! Miss Applejack here will help with the catering and get more when a plate in empty so do not worry, we have enough for all of you! Miss Fluttershy will help you with the drinks and will do the same when there is nothing left, and Miss Pinkie Pie will be working together with our guest DJ Pon3 and take care of the music."  
Rarity points at her co-workers when she calls their name but, after mentioning the DJ of the night, pauses and turns towards the curtain behind her, which gets removed by Twilight and Starlight to reveal the famous DJ Pon-3, whose real name is Vinyl Scratch, sitting behind her mixing table and surrounded by multiple speakers, ready to get the party started.  
"That is all for now so do not hold back and enjoy the night!"  
The crowd cheers one final time as the lights turn on again but more dim than before and the first song begins to play in the perfect volume, loud enough to be heard but not obstructive, which would make talking very difficult. This is why DJ Pon-3 is a professional and one of the best in Equestria.  
The first two to disappear from the table are Yona and Silverstream but it's no real riddle where they headed for. The two females join a group of ponies at the buffet and, a bit later, Sandbar and Smolder follow suit with the goal of getting themselves a drink. That leaves Ocellus and Gallus all alone at the table.  
"That was a beautiful speech, don't you think?", the Changeling asks the griffon, who nods.  
"Really good. They must have spend a lot of time thinking about it. I wouldn't mind this being an annual thing, it's nice."  
"For sure! We all barely saw each other ever since we started studying for the exams so it's really nice to hang out with everyone like that. Oh yeah, I completely forget before but I wanted to tell you that I really like your outfit. I'd never would have took you for the kind of person who wears suits. I actually thought you would just put a shirt on and maybe a tie."  
 _Hmm... She's not wrong actually... I've only wore a suit once and it was the worst!  
_ "To be honest, I'm not. They look good and all but it's usually not my style. I guess I am a bit like Smolder. She doesn't like dresses but that jumpsuit looks good on her... even if she doesn't like that one either."  
Ocellus laughs when she hears the comment about their dragon friend, knowing first hand how she reacted when she tried her first dress on when they helped each other pick out outfits.  
"Trust me, she was way unhappier with the dress Silverstream picked for her. That was her favorite by far. I guess she's just not a big fan of events like this. But if you don't like suits, why are you still wearing it? You could just take it off. Silverstream took her shawl off too."  
She points at the piece of clothing the Hippogriff tossed over the back of the chair.  
"It's a bit complicated I guess... This jacket is special and I actually like wearing it."  
"I get that. It does look really good with the gems and all that. Were did you-"  
"Here", a familiar female voice interrupts the female as a white cup appears in front of her on the table and, at the same time, another one in front of Gallus.  
"We thought you might want some as well", a male voice explains as the creature it belongs to sits down next to the griffon.  
Sandbar and Smolder return from their mission, both equipped with a cup of their own. Sandbar's cup is also on the table with a red drinking straw while the dragon holds her cup in her claw.  
"It's the fruit punch. Miss Applejack and Miss Fluttershy made them together. It's really good", she explains before taking another sip from her cup.  
"Thank you! That's really kind of you", Ocellus thanks her friends before taking her first sip and their griffon-friend does the same.  
"Yeah, thanks!"

The four of them talk for a bit and, eventually, Silverstream and Yona return, each carrying a plate filled with delicious goods. They give each of their friends a cupcake they brought from the buffet to celebrate the ending of their first semester together. Like other would clink glasses, they bump their pastries together before wishing for the next semester to be just like the first, if not even better. They continue to talk about various different topics until Yona, who hears a song that is really to her liking, suddenly gets up with a sparkle in her eyes.  
"Yona love this song! Make Yak wanna dance! Friends wanna dance too?"  
"Yes, yes, yes!", Silverstream answers, also getting up from her seat, and Ocellus, who silently nods, joins her immediately.  
Together, the three smile at each other before heading for the dance floor together.  
"Nah, not in the mood",the griffon declines the offer but it looks like Smolder is the only who shares his opinion because the stallion next to him also gets up from his chair.  
"Come on guys. A little bit of dancing never hurt anyone."  
Sandbar tries to convince the two remaining creatures but, almost immediately, Smolder shakes her head, signalizing that there is no way of changing her mind. With a shrug of his shoulder, Sandbar focuses solely on the griffon next to him.  
"Oh... okay. What about you, Gallus? Want to rock the dance floor with me and the others?"  
 _I'm usually not a fan of dancing but... I want to dance when it's with him.  
_ The griffon sighs in defeat as he also rises from his chair, which gains him a smile from the earth-pony and together they walk to the dance floor to join the others. The moment they get there Yona, Ocellus and Silverstream make some room to include the two males in their unique choreography... which isn't really a choreography at all since each creature dances in their own way. Yona is jumping up and down, trying her best to not hit any pony near her which is even harder than it looks like. Silverstream and Ocellus dances are way less risky and contain no jumping at all. From time to time, Silverstream lifts of and continues to dance in the air for a moment before landing again. Gallus, a bit overwhelmed by the different styles, decides to simply stomp his feet to the rhythm of the movie while bobbing his head at the same time. Sandbar, in contrast to his griffon friend, goes all out and joins Yona in her jump-dance and so the five friends spend a few songs dancing. The songs vary in speed, beat, genre. Others are loud, fast and wild while others are more calm, focused and designed for slower dances. From time to time, mostly when the song changes, the friends change things up a bit and try different ways of dancing but, eventually, Gallus focus begins to drift off and he begins to look around, getting an overview of the crowd of ponies dancing around them. He notices a few groups similar to his, doing their own thing and each having a different style, coming to the conclusion that those must be friends that came together. A few other ponies are dancing alone, maybe they came alone or the rest of their group left to get something to drink or eat, or maybe they are the only one who were in the mood to dance right now. And then there is the third group, a group he does and at the same time does not belong to. The pair of ponies who saw this chance as a date, something he and Sandbar did as well. The way they dance is completely different from the rest, their eyes are constantly switching between looking at each and their environment and their way of dances matches together, almost as if they spend hours rehearsing it.  
 _Somehow... it's not the same_ , the feather-covered creature begins to ask himself and, slowly, the tapping he did with his feet stops as he focuses his attention on his equine friend, who is currently mimicking Ocellus' dance as the two laugh.  
 _It really isn't,_ Gallus realizes and, without his friends noticing it, he leaves the dance floor and goes back to their table, which is now empty. Without even thinking about where his dragon-friend could be, Gallus sits down on his seat and takes a sip from his half-empty cup when someone suddenly calls his name.  
"Gallus, here you are! You were suddenly gone so I was a bit worried. Why didn't you say anything?"  
"Sorry, I wasn't feeling so well so I wanted to sit down for moment. Probably just a headache or something like that so don't worry Sandy, I'll be fine. Just go back and have fun with the others."  
 _I must sound pathetic right now...  
_ Gallus takes another look at the dance floor, aiming his sight at a dancing couple not far from them before refocusing the stallion standing in front of him, who looks in the direction before turning his head around again. Sandbar ogles the sitting griffon for a bit before he turns around and disappears in the dancing crowd. But before he turned around, Gallus saw a look in his eyes he couldn't really interpret but he does not have much time to think about it because, much to his surprise, the stallion returns and quickly grabs him by his claw, pulling him along as he aims for the exit.  
"Sa-Sa-Sandbar! What are you doing? Where are we going?"  
"Out for a short walk. You said you were not feeling well and fresh air always helps", the earth-pony explains without even looking at him.  
"What about the others? Won't they get worried when we are suddenly missing?"  
"I told Ocellus about it and also that I would accompany you to make sure you're doing okay so don't worry about that."  
 _He seems... different than usual. His voice sounds more stern and his grip is way more firm than usual.  
_ The two of them traverse the room, neither of them thinking about letting go of the other, and, eventually, they reach the exit through which they leave the building. It got a bit colder which is not surprising, considering that the dance has been going on for at least two hours by now, maybe ten to twenty minutes more. The two males go down the little stairway and, upon reaching the bottom end of it, the pressure around his claw ceases as the pony lets go of him. Before Gallus can even form a word, Sandbar looks at him with the same expression he had the last time he saw his face and begins to take the first step leading away from the building.  
"There's a park not far from here we could go to. Usually no one goes there this late, especially in winter, so we are alone and there are benches to sit on. How does that sound?"  
Gallus can't think straight right now. He is completely confused by how the evening developed but the idea pitched to him sounds promising, especially the part of being alone with his date. Though, something in the pony's voice worries him. It has a faint trace of either anger or, even worse, sadness to it and this makes him question the whole idea a bit but not enough to turn it down.  
"O...Okay, sure", the griffon eventually gives in and, next to each other, the two begin their little walk.

The way isn't long, maybe five minutes or so, but the silence that lingers over them every step of the way makes it seem so much longer. Eventually they reach a wooden bridge, which marks the end of their journey, and the two males use it to cross a still brook. The park Sandbar mentioned is, just like he predicted, empty and only a few street light shine their light and bath parts of the trail surrounding the green area in pleasant golden light. It seems like they put a light next to each of the three wooden benches, most likely to make those places more comfortable and inviting.  
"Here, let's take this one", the pale lime-green coated earth-pony suggest as he points his hoof at the closest bench only a few meters away from their current position.  
Gallus nods and, as soon as they reach it, Sandbar sits down and pats the spot next to him, signalizing the griffon to do the same, who complies. Again, silence seems to be encasing them but, eventually, Sandbar breaks through it.  
"Are you feeling better?", the pony asks the griffon, who remains silent for a moment, not really sure what to answer as he completely forgot what he said to cover up the truth.  
"Yeah", the griffon decides to improvises, "My... erm... stomach is feeling a lot be-"  
"Come on Gallus", Sandbar interrupts his friend as he turns his face towards him, showing a serious expression on his face, "I can tell something is bothering you. Why did you think I brought you all the way out here? We could have stayed by Town Hall if you really only needed some fresh air but... that's not it. Something happened! You were acting completely different from one second to the next and I want to know why. I want to help you..."  
 _Busted... Should have known something was up. That explains his completely different behavior... He went out of his way and brought me here so I should just get it over with.  
_ "Okay", the griffon admits his defeat and slumps back, resting his back against the backrest of the bench and starring into the night sky, "You're right... Something did happen. When we were dancing with the others I looked around a bit and saw how the others danced. I guess it just got to me a bit that we were dancing like normal friends, like so many other groups of friends, and not... well..."  
"A couple? I mean, I thought it was obvious. Keeping it a secret means that we have to act like normal friends when others are around.  
"... I guess you're right... It's just frustrating to see others like that..."  
Suddenly, Gallus feels how his shoulder gets heavier and the feeling of something soft tickles him a bit. He checks and sees Sandbar's head resting on it, also looking up at the sky.  
"Trust me, you weren't the only one who thought about that. It can be hard but do you remember what I told you?"  
 _What he told me? Wait... there was something... Ah!  
_ "You mean... that the thought is the only thing that matters?"  
"Yeah... Don't let the other couples make you feel bad. They are no different than us and we are not different from them. They just show it publicly while we are saving it for when we are alone. But look at us now... We are just like them.  
 _Hmm...  
_ Gallus' attention disappears in his sea of thoughts for a moment before it returns with an idea, something he wanted to do ever since seeing it and now is the perfect time for it. Gently he pushes the stallion's head off his shoulder, which leaves him a bit confused, and gets up before turning around and holding out one of his claws.  
"May I have this dance?", he asks Sandbar who, upon realizing what is going on, blushes before accepting the griffon's invitation with a beatific smile.  
The two males raise to their hind legs and, while staying connected, begin to move. Their dance resembles a waltz rookies would learn in their first few lessons, that means without any difficult and additional steps or twirls, but neither of them mind. Knowing that this could be the only dance they share like that, both of them enjoy it to the fullest and take every little misstep and offbeat action as something special and not a mistake. When their movement begin to get slower and slower, the two of them look into each others eyes and, with their minds in a completely different place and their hearts in complete control of their body, lean in until the distance between them is close to none, making it possible for them to share their first kiss. Everyone knows what one says about the first kiss in a relationship, how high the expectations are and how much importance it holds. This kiss surpasses any expectation the two could have had. It is almost as if their heartbeat adapts to the other ones so they can create a harmony that could rival the song of the nightingale. Their kiss stays alive for several seconds before the two pull back a bit so they can revive the eye contact that got lost.

Neither of them say a word, they just stare into the depths of each others eyes, knowing exactly how great it felt and, from the look of their partner, how much they enjoyed it as well. They once again cut the contact when they embrace each other, enjoying the heat their bodies share and the faint but soothing harmonious beat that erupts from their chests. After parting once more, the two males turn towards the bridge they came from, setting the Town Hall as their goal, now that all the doubt and worry the two creatures haunted vanished into something far more powerful and far more pleasant. Almost three-quarters of the way Gallus keeps his wing on his boyfriend's back, the same way he did back in the dorms, but eventually he removes it but this time neither of them feel the disappointment that haunted them before. The moment they come close to their target, a female Changeling, who just left the building, notices them and waves at them before coming closer.  
"Perfect timing! I was just looking for you two. Did the walk help? Are you feeling better? "  
She asks after positioning herself next to the griffon, who first smiles at Sandbar before showing it to her.  
"Better than ever", he answers her second question first, which causes her to smile as well.  
"I'm relieved to hear that."  
"Why were you looking for us? I told you what we were doing", the stallion adds himself to the conversation and Ocellus quickly answers that question.  
"Shortly after you left, Principal Twilight Sparkle announced that they would take a class picture at nine with all the students here and the teachers. I was worried you wouldn't make it so I came here to search for and get you two."  
"That's a cool idea! But why nine? A bit early, don't you think?", the griffon comments but his friend has an answer for that too.  
"Miss Rarity blames herself for that. The event in Canterlot was a lot more stressful than she expected. She and her staff had to work all night to satisfy all of her customers' needs and to uphold the store's good reputation. They managed it but with the train ride back and the help with the preparation she barely had any time to sleep so she would excuse herself after that."  
 _Ouch... I never thought about how much she had to carry these days. But you couldn't tell, not even a bit! I guess that's what makes her a true professional. Still, we shouldn't make it even harder for her.  
_ "That makes sense... I feel sorry for her. Even after all of that she still comes here because she wants us to have a great party and to give us her nice speech", Gallus commends the unicorn's sacrifice and Sandbar can only agree with him on that.  
"Generosity through and through... What time is it?"  
The three of them reach the staircase and Ocellus already climbs it as she answers.  
"They are already preparing everything and getting into position so it can't be that much longer. Come!"  
"We'll be right there! Go ahead and tell them that, okay?"  
The Changeling hesitates when he hears the griffon's request but, instead of asking for his reason, she simply nods and disappears inside.  
The moment she is out of sight, Gallus pulls Sandbar next to the staircase, which gives them complete cover thanks to the shadow it casts.  
"Gallus, what are we do-"  
The earth-stallion tries to ask but he is cut off when his mouth is being covered by the yellow beak, coming together in another shorter kiss.  
"Sorry, I just really needed to do that once more before we go ba-"  
The same thing happens again except for the roles to be reversed.  
"And that was just because I felt like it."  
That completely casual reason makes the griffon snicker a bit as his cheeks turn rosy.  
"Come", Sandbar, whose face took on a reddish hue, proposes, "let's make this night the best night! A date we will never forget!"  
The griffon nods as the two of them leave their hiding spot, climb up the stairs and enter the building.  
Those last words echo in both of their heads over and over again. They echo when they sit next to each other while the picture is being taken, when they are at their table chatting with the rest of their friends, when they dance just like any other group of friends and even, after hours and hours of fun, when they are on their way to their dorms. The entire time a thought accompanies this echo in each of their heads.  
 _It already is..._


	15. Path 1: Epilogue

Most of the students have already gone home and, eventually, the group of six friends join them. Yona, Sandbar, Silverstream and Ocellus, who were busy on the sparsely occupied dance floor, return to their table to find Smolder and Gallus having a little way-past-midnight snack.  
"Still hungry?", the pony asks his friends who both answer with a satisfied burp.  
"More like again... This is my breakfast", Smolder explains after downing her, at least, ninth cup.  
"I can't remember the last time I ate that much and that often... I'm not even sure if there even was a last time", the griffon admits as he holds one of the little sandwiches in his claw, examining it and thinking about how many of these he already consumed in this single night.  
"Yeah... One more bite and I will explode", the dragon continues as she stares at her almost empty plate with a look filled with a mixture of hatred, respect and a little bit of melancholy.  
"Good to hear that you two didn't completely eat yourself to death", Ocellus comments her friends' behavior, judging them a little bit but, considering how good the food was here, also relating to them.  
"We were thinking about leaving and wanted to know if you two wanna j-", Silverstream asks but she can't even complete her sentence before getting an answer from the two gluttons.  
"Count me in..."  
"Abso", Smolder agrees followed by a burp, "lutely."  
"Then let's go! I can't wait to be in my bed."  
Ocellus takes the lead as the other five follow with Smolder and Gallus being the last in line. They move a bit slower, most likely due to their recent meal and the amount of fluids they poured down their throat, which forces the group to wait for them once they climbed down the stairs.  
"Are you guys alright? Can you really walk all this way back to the dorms?"  
"Sure, no problem. Just a little walk, no biggie", the feather-covered male jokes but Smolder is not nearly as confident in her own ability.  
"Honestly... No."  
"Oh, don't worry", Ocellus jumps into action, "I will take her there in no time."  
She transforms into a bigger dragon, similar in size to Garble, with green scales and black horns on his head. Gently she places the smaller dragon on her upper back, telling her to hold onto her horns so she does not fall down. She then spreads her wings and takes flight. In merely seconds, the other completely loose her out of their sight.  
"That was fast", Silverstream admires the ability of Ocellus' new form but Sandbar quickly snaps her out of it.  
"We better hurry if we want to get there fast as well. I can feel how I'm getting more and more tired now that I'm no longer in there."  
The remaining four agree and begin to move again but after four minutes of walking it becomes more and more obvious that Gallus is struggling a bit.  
"Are you sure you can make it?", Sandbar, who is walking next to him the entire time, whispers but Gallus tries his best to play it cool so he does not worry his boyfriend.  
"Sure I'm sure, Sandy. It's just a bit of food. I've survived worse so don't worry.."  
Hearing those words reminds the pony of something earlier that night and, just like last time, the same feeling awakes inside of him. The moment the griffon raises the foreleg closest to him, Sandbar grabs it and puts it around his shoulder, stabilizing him and taking away a bit of the pressure and weight.  
"S-Sandy! What are yo-"  
"Telling me to not worry only makes me worry more, you know... Especially when something is obviously not okay."  
Knowing that his mate is right, he drops the strong facade and shows him a genuine smile, which the pony returns.  
"You're right... Sorry. I really appreciate your help."  
"You can always count on me."  
"Is everything okay?", Silverstream, who hovers a bit further in front of them, asks, clearly worried about her friend.  
She must have turned around when they were talking and saw how Sandbar lent him his shoulder. The two males nod while the earth-pony explains that he will take care of him, soothing the hippogriff's worries. This new position really helps and, without any incidents, the remaining four of the group also reach the school and, soon after, the fork which leads to the two dorms.  
"Good night and sleep tight!", Yona wishes the two males who return the wish before disbanding from the girls and heading for the boys' building. Upon entering they immediately notice that the entrance hall is completely empty, which is not really surprising.  
"I guess they all went to bed already. And I think we should-ah!"  
Without a warning, Gallus starts to remove his foreleg from the pony's shoulder, taking away the additional weight in the process.  
"Then let's get going. Our beds are waiting for us", the griffon leads but, much to the pony's surprise, he does not head for the staircase.  
Instead, his boyfriend seems to be aiming for his room!  
"W-What are you doing? The staircase is that w"  
"You picked me up so it's only fair of me to escort you to your room, isn't it?", the griffon, who must have recovered a bit from his slightly dazed state during the walk, explains himself as he comes closer and closer to the door that leads to the pony's room.  
Sandbar blushes a bit when he hears that and, honestly, it makes him a bit happy to hear that. He assumed that they would just say good night at the staircase before each going their way but this is much better.  
The two stop at the door and Sandbar unlocks it but before he opens it, he turns towards the griffon.  
"I... I had a great time. The Dance was so much fun, the food was delicious and to be able to spend time with you like this was the final touch to make this night... perfect. Thanks for asking me out."  
"I'm the one who should thank you, Sandy. I was acting a bit like a jerk back then and, again, on the way here but you knew exactly what to do. Talking with you about it really helped and I realized that, no matter how hard and difficult it gets, it's all worth it when I get to spend time with you this way. I l-"  
Before he can finish his sentence, Sandbar, overwhelmed by happiness, shuts him up with a long kiss.  
"I love you", the pony whispers the moment their lips part.  
Overwhelmed by the excitement, embarrassment and adrenaline his action created, Sandbar opens the door and, without even waiting for an reaction, scurries inside, leaving Gallus, paralyzed and with a bright red head, all alone in the hallway. His feathers suddenly puff up before he turns around and walks up the stairs to get to his room. After entering it and closing the door, the griffon lies down on the bed and just stares at the ceiling, not being able to forget not only the kiss just now but also the one in the park as well as the three words he just heard. Sandbar reacts the same way. With cheeks as red as tomatoes, he lies down on his bed and hugs his pillow as he completes the sentence Gallus was about to say followed by the memory of the feelings that ran through his body and mind when he kissed that griffon back at the park. The same feelings are taking over his body and mind right now! It felt surreal but at the same time like the most real thing in the world.  
 _So that's what love feels like...  
_ As he comes to that conclusion, a wide smile forms on his hot, red face, which he immediately buries in the pillow, trying to calm himself down, with only moderate success. Eventually, both of them fall asleep, thinking about what the future holds for them and how their new chapter will turn out to be. Excitement and anticipation fill their thoughts as they drift off into a pleasant dream.


	16. Path 2: Sometimes the Truth hurts

**NOTE:**  
 **Soooo... Since I had different Ideas on how this story can go I decided to make two different endings. The real one on which I will build my next stories with my two little lovers and one alternate ending which is just for fun^^**

 **This one is the alternate one but I still hope you will read it :D**

Two more days and everypony is slowly freaking out, but not Gallus. On the contrary, he totally forgot about all that. It's almost as if last night's experience completely deleted his memory, at least the parts that worried him. How can anyone really blame him though? He lived one of his dreams! Blinding rays of sunshine invade the room and do their best to wake up the sleeping griffon, with success. He slowly opens his eyes and raises his head to take a quick look out of the window. The nightly blue turned into the orange flames of an early morning and the sun begins to rise behind the mountains, showing only a fraction of it's full glory but enough to spread it's light and warmth. He releases one big yawn before wishing his plant-friend a good morning.  
"I'll get you some water, little buddy."  
This procedure became a daily habit of him since Sandbar gave him the plant. Sometimes it still bothers him, especially when he's still feeling tired, but most of the time he doesn't mind it anymore, like today.  
He reenters his room with a glass filled with the glorious liquid in his left front talon.  
"Here you go! Breakfast fresh from the restroom's faucet", he jokes as he pours it into the pot, where it quickly sinks into the brown earth, coloring it a darker shade in the process.  
 _Speaking of breakfast...  
_ His stomach begins to growl at him the moment he even dares to think about the most important meal of the day.  
 _Yeah, yeah! I need to eat something... Didn't even had dinner yesterday. Except a little taste of pony... But nearly not enough to fill me. Better get something good from the cafeteria.  
_ He searches for his coin sack, which he finds next to his desk, and prepares himself for a quick breakfast. After leaving his room he locks his door and walks down the stairs to reach the ground level, where he interrupts his trip and takes a look down the corridor where Sandbar's room is located.  
 _I could ask Sandy if he wants something to eat but... Pretty sure he is still asleep. I'll visit him in a few hours so he can sleep late.  
_ He turns away and leaves the dorm building, setting his sight on the school building in front of him.  
He doesn't meet many other students on his way and the school itself doesn't seem to be very busy either. A few ponies can be seen with books on their backs or levitating in front of their faces. Seeing that reminds him of what he and Sandbar **should** be doing and why they even decided to hang out so much lately. And it helps him remember that only two full days are left for them to do that.  
 _I really should ask Sandbar to go over everything I need to know today. We don't have much time left and I am still not even a bit smarter than I was before. But I can't do that without a good breakfast!_

He heads for the cafeteria but a voice, that he somehow recognizes a bit, calls for him.  
"Look who decided to show up in his free time. It's the always friendly and helpful griffon."  
Two stallions, who noticed him coming inside, aim for him with a, somehow, ominous grin. The red-coated shoots his friend a quick look before facing Gallus, who he now stands in front of.  
"Oh wait!", he continues, "Griffons and everything else than greedy, selfish or grumpy are irreconcilable differences, I totally forgot. Sorry Gal, old pal."  
 _Who is that jerk?  
_ Gallus gives the other male a weird look and examines him to see if he recognizes him in any way but he can't remember seeing him before.  
"It's Gallus and, sorry but... do I even know you", he asks but stops before putting on a more mocking voice to end his question, "pal?"  
"Harsh but what else can you expect from a griffon. Only interested in things that benefits him. Don't you remember us from the restroom? I asked you for my towel and you, like the griffon you obviously are, just left me hanging. I thought you and the other freaks came here to learn about Friendship and Generosity and Kindness and stuff but especially you don't care about all of that, do you? You only care about yourself. I can't wait to see how miserably you will fail the exams."  
 _What is that jerk's problem? I'd beat him up but... I can't risk that... I have to ignore them... but it's really difficult...  
_ "Oh noooo! How sad it would be to see you leave! We would miss your every day of our lives", the peach-colored pegasus adds before bursting out laughter.  
"Oh, don't worry about me. I will pass with ease", the griffon gloats with a cocky expression on his face before turning away from them.  
 _Good enough. Let's get rid of those jerks.  
_ He continues his way towards the entrance of the cafeteria but the two equine males stop him.  
 _Why me..._ , Gallus thinks to himself as he rolls his eyes in annoyance after bumping into the same obstacle twice now.  
"Oh did your little freaky pony-friend give you a little extra lesson or what? Are you two all buddy-buddy and the best of friends?", the pegasus teases and his red-coated buddy ads a little bit more fuel to the fire.  
"Is that what you two were doing in the park? I saw you two hanging around there laughing and stuff but now it makes much more sense. I should have realized that you need all the help you can get. A hopeless case even with your buddy's help but it's still nice of him to waste his time with a blighter like you."  
"No, we did not! We were just go-, I mean, hanging out because we are friends and that's what friends do. We tried to study but it didn't work so leave him out of this!"  
 _Why am I even getting so worked up about all that. They don't even know what they are talking about so why do I care? I shouldn't care! But I can't control it... It's as if they know how to make me talk or something like that!  
_ "Oh, is that what you two call it? Hanging out? I could have sworn I heard that fish-bird-thing talk about how hard he found it to teach you anything at all", the pegasus replies with a snicker, "and even that lizard-lady said something like that. Something about really knowing how to motivate you. Looks like the only one who's in the dark about all that"  
He pokes the griffon's chest with his hoof as he finishes his sentence, "is you. But why trust us if you can just ask him yourself."  
"As if!", the griffon snaps back at them, giving them a sample of the rage he fells, "I don't need to ask him and I couldn't care less about what you guys have to say. I know my friends and I know Sandbar. He would tell me what's up! He would tell me the truth!", Gallus impugns the pony's statement.  
"And now get out of my way or I'll show you what griffons can really do better than ponies", he shows him his fist and smashes it into the palm of his other talon, "and that's Inflicting pain."  
He sidesteps the two males and heads for the cafeteria again to finally get something to eat but a shout from the red-coated earth-pony still reaches his ear.  
"Don't say we didn't warn you, buddy!"  
He quickly tries to delete that last message from his brain but a small piece of doubt clinges to it with all it's strength, not allowing it to leave completely. Instead of deleting it he just pushes is into the background, ignoring it as good as he can as he finally enters the cafeteria.

Today's menu offers peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, bowls of fresh salat, fresh apple juice from Sweet Apple Acres and other types of juice in different colors, muffins, colorful donuts with and without sprinkles and Gallus' favorite treat: griffon scones. Only a few ponies are eating and two more ponies, one pegasus and one unicorn, are busy putting food on their plates. Gallus takes one of the food trays and is about to take one of the griffon scones but someone's yell stops him.  
"Gallus, what a surprise to see you here so early. Since when are you the type of griffon who gets up early? Doesn't suit you at all."  
The orange dragon, who stood near the door to the garden when she noticed him, is now standing next to him and shows him a little smile.  
"The other girls are outside. Come and join us", she offers him but somehow the hunger Gallus felt is gone and something else bothers his stomach now: A strange and uncomfortable feeling. Could it be doubt? or fear? or maybe both?  
 _I... really don't wanna see them right now..._ , he admits to himself as the feeling grows worse and worse.  
"Thanks but I'm not really hungry. Just wanted to get some juice and get back to my room."  
With that he takes a glass and fills it with the first juice that appears in his sight, a strange purple one, before heading for the exit, leaving his tray behind.  
"Oh... sure", Smolder replies, obviously worried and a bit confused but she knows that it is better to not annoy him when he seems down so she lets him go without stopping him even once.  
The way back to the dorms is a short one but every step drains more and more energy and motivation as his head fills with repeats of his talk with the two stallions, adding more and more fuel to the slowly igniting fire of doubt he develops.  
 _It's true... We haven't really studied at all after out first time and there are only two more days left... Maybe San- No! What am I even thinking! How can I even think that!? That jerk was just lying! I am sure we will study today and if not today then tomorrow and I will pass the exams with ease and that douche won't believe his eyes when he sees my good grade! He's just trying to get int my head for... whatever reason. I won't give in... I won't... right?  
_ He pushes all of those thoughts aside and takes a big sip from his glass, but immediately spits the liquid out as soon as it as much as touches his taste buds, which seem to be shivering from the sourness of the drink.  
 _Ew! What is that? Puddle-water? That's just wrong_ , he criticizes his dark drink while spitting a few more times, trying to get rid of the bitter and disgusting sensation but no matter how much he tries, the aftertaste never completely ceases to exist. But is that really just the bad juice or is it the ember of the flame that he couldn't suffocate in his own belief and hope? He pours the rest of the juice away and returns to his room, thinking about everything and waiting for the time to come where he can visit his study-buddy.

The rest of the day goes by just like any other day has. He shows up at Sandbar's room and they spend the day together except this time he is the one just sitting around and watching his friend getting some work done. They don't speak that much but once in a while Sandbar tries to show Gallus something new or asks him for his opinion. Unfortunately, Gallus' thoughts are still occupied and paying attention is nearly impossible and so he quickly forgets everything his friend tries to explain or he doesn't even pay attention at all. After only two hours he suddenly excuses himself, naming exhaustion and a headache as reasons, and aims for the door but his equine friend stops him.  
"Are you sure it's just that? It feels like you tuned out a lot today... Is something wrong?"  
"I...", he starts but the train of thoughts in his head cause him to fall silent again.  
It's almost as if a little angel on his right shoulder and two devils on his left shoulder whisper into his ears.  
 _"This is your chance! Ask him about it. You know that you want to!", the devils cheer but their counterpart disagrees with them.  
_ _"You trust him, don't you? It's gonna be all right so forget about what those guys said and stay with him. It's for the best."  
_ _"Pah! Sure, let him fool you and lie to you!", the one devils grumbles and his friend joins him, "Why wait and see when you can get to the truth right here, right now. Then all your fears and insecurities will dissolve."  
_ _"Trust him!"  
_ _"Ask him!"  
_ _"Trust him!"  
_ _"_ _ **Ask him!**_ _"_

"Sandy?... You said you want to help me pass the exams... right? But how are you going to that?"  
"W-what? What do you mean how and why... why are you asking that now? I promised you I would help you, didn't I?"  
 _Why is he acting so strange? He seems so... tense and anxious. And why does my stomach hurt, why do my hooves feel cold and why does my heart pound so loud!  
_ "Every time", Gallus continues, "I as much as mentioned it you changed the topic or dodged the question altogether and I want to know why? Isn't that what you wanted to do? Help me study? So how come we haven't done that yet, not even once despite that time? How am I suppose to learn stuff without studying?"  
He notices the stallion's attempts to open his mouth but no words leave it, he notices his eyes dodging his stare and his hoof slightly tremble.  
 _W... what is wrong with him today? Why is he acting like that? ... What happened?_ , the stallion asks himself but he doesn't know the answer and he doesn't know what to do now and he does not have much time to think either.  
 _What should I do? Tell him the truth? It's the only way I know to response and he has the right to know, right? I have to do it!  
_ "I... I mean... You and... We...", he begins but after every words his voice dies, just to be reborn for the next word and dying again.  
"We what?"  
A sigh escapes Sandbar's mouth and he stands up from his chair and comes a bit closer to the door, where Gallus is standing.  
"The truth is... we've been studying together but you never noticed it... you were not suppose to notice it."  
The griffon's pupils grow in sizes as the words reach his brain.  
 _W-what! I... I can't believe it...They... were right...  
_ It feels like time is standing still for both of them as emotions rush through their brains and their hearts, causing chaos and confusion and... silence. Now both of them avoid to look at each other and instead aim the view to the floor. Neither of them can say a word or do something. The thoughts in their heads are as non-existing as their ability to speak until Gallus finally breaks the tranquility. His brain finally started working and it feels like something shattered inside of it. Maybe it was his trust or something even more important to him but the pain he feels takes full control of him. Its as if strings were attached to him, moving him and turning him into a mere puppet, comtrolled by his temper's non-existing hands.  
"Of course", he whispers, "I can't believe I didn't notice it... everything we did had something to do with either generosity or fashion... You..."  
He focuses his friend, who meets his gaze while sneaking a peek to see how he reacts, with a cold stare, which intimidates Sandbar. It's not an everyday stare, it's the kind of stare Sandbar only saw once or twice since he knows the griffon. A stare filled with fury.  
 _G...Gallus! It's not what you think!,_ the stallion wants to say but his body is being paralyzed by those cold eyes.  
"You lied to me. You lied to me from the very beginning! Everything we did was part of that act, wasn't it? The picnic, that stupid machine, EVERYTHING!", he snubs at the stallion, who flinches slightly but he really wants to explain this misunderstanding. Sandbar tries to fight against his frozen state and wins the fight, gaining back the control over his body.  
"No, that's not true! Most of it wasn't pa-"  
"As if! Making me help you out, give you stuff so I would learn Generosity and then this entire sewing-act. I bet everyone except me already knows about your oh so secret hobby but not telling me was very convenient for you, wasn't it. 'You can try it, if you want. It is sooooo much fun', Gullible Gallus will surely fall for it, right?!"  
His inner voice, that tries to knock some sense into him, and force him to realize that Sandbar is not that kind of pony and that he knows it, can't get through to him anymore. His fury and the pain he feels in his heart makes him numb for any reasoning or any other feeling except the feeling of distrust and rage.  
"Thats not true! Why would I ever think something like that! You know I would never do that to you!"  
Sandbar hopes to get through to his friend but, sadly, that plan backfires and enrages the griffon even more.  
"Liar!"  
 _There is no use in telling him he's wrong. It won't do any of us any good and even if it helped, he wouldn't listen... But there must be something I can do to calm him down!_ , the equine ponders and quickly gets an idea.  
"I know, I know", he replies with a calm voice, "it was wrong to not tell you but I had no other choice! That was the only way to help you. I really wanted to help you with that! You have to believe me, Pl-"  
"Oh can it! I don't care about your excuses. You lied to me even though I told you how much honesty means to us griffons and to me!"  
He grips the door handle and opens it with more force than necessary, almost tears the door out of it's hinges before sending one final message.  
"Leave me alone!"  
"Gallus! Wa-", but before he can finish his cry the slamming of the door drowns his voice and shuts him up.

A minute goes by before he can even completely comprehend what just happened, before he understand the consequences of the scene that just played and what it could mean for him and Gallus. He wants to do something but he is unsure what.  
 _I... I need to go after him! I'm sure he's still in this building, most likely in his room... but  
_ The griffon's last words echo in his mind, overlapping each other and and growing in volume before falling completely silent again.  
 _He said that he wants to be alone... Can I, can I really leave him alone now? When he's obviously hurt and driving himself insane with those terrible assumptions and theories? I can't let that happen! He must listen to me, no matter what!  
_ He runs to the door but the moment he touches the handle something stops him. As if his body doesn't obey his brain and act on his own instead. He lets go of the handle and steps back, starring at it, imagining Gallus' exit again and, with a weak headache but a somewhat warm feeling in his chest, turns away from the door and continues his work. He knows that it's weird to do nothing but he somehow something makes him feel like it's the right thing to do.  
 _I shouldn't stress him more... I'm gonna talk to him when everything is over..._ , he decides and tries to push his recent memories away, with only small success. He knows that doesn't have to forget them but for now he has to ignore them and concentrate on the exam because it wouldn't do anything for him if he flubs it. He knows Gallus would do the same once he calmed down and they will both pass them and then,.. Then they will talk and everything will make sense. At least, that's what he hopes for.  
 _It's the right thing to do... right?_


	17. Path 2: Test of Distress

Sandbar only spends an hour on his project before he notices the heaviness of his head and how weak his eyelids are, not being able to keep themselves open for more than five minutes (not counting blinking obviously) before shutting themselves for a few seconds, enjoying the sensation of rest and relaxation. He was able to forget about the incidence by distracting himself but from time to time the imagine of Gallus' expression and the cold stare he gave him popped into his head, causing him to mess up a stitch or two and forcing him to fix it once his mind became clear again. From time to time he could've sworn that he heard something that sounded like a loud bang, as if something hit something with incredible force but he tells himself that it was nothing but his imagination and his remorse working hand in hand to teach him a lesson he was sure he already learned or maybe just a mixture of the sounds he hears coming from the hallway.  
 _I can't work like that..._ , the stallion decides as he turns off the machine and drops his entire body onto his bed, face first into the pillow which muffles his groaning and every other sound he makes. He feels the images coming back as the scene begins to start all over again, like a never-ending loop of emotional catastrophes, uncomfortable realizations and a pain in his chest and his head. A pain that feels like it had the power to kill him but instead just tortures him over and over again, not letting him rest.  
 _I can't handle that! I CAN'T! I need something to distract me! What was it what I wanted to do again? Study! Perfect!  
_ The teal-maned stallion immediately gets up from his bed and searches for his notes from the classes, which he always stores inside one of the drawers of his desk. He opens the middle one and takes out a huge pile of scrolls, which are color-coded with a piece of ribbon to seal it. Dark red for Honesty class, yellow for Kindness, green for farming and so on. While looking through the pile in search of a purple, a white (which stand for Generosity class and Sewing/Fashion) and a few other colors from classes he really needs to recapitulate, he notices the sudden silence that flooded the room. No more bangs and no other strange sounds from anywhere. Sandbar stops his search for a second and tries his best to concentrate on any sound he could hear but nothing, as if everyone else but him just became mute.  
 _That's... even more uncomfortable..._ , the male thinks to himself as he continues his search for the last pages and, after finding all of them eventually, he heads back for the bed and lays on top of it. He turns himself on the side and begins to read the pieces of information the little rolls of parchment contain. Hours go by and one scroll after the other reveals its secret to the little pony as the sun fades away behind the mountains and the moon comes out to play. From time to time Sandbar takes a quick break and looks out of the window or tries to find something to tidy up or just distract him so he won't get the urge to annoy Gallus, who is still flying through his brain from time to time accompanied by the drama they had to witness together. This cycle continues until his body succumbs to the lack of energy as the midnight-hour signals the start of an new day, the last day to prepare.

Sandbar consciousness slowly returns as he opens his eyes and, much to his surprise, he sees nothing but darkness.  
 _Is that another dream? That's the last thing I need right now..._ , the stallion's voice echoes in his head but one slight movement of his head allows a glimmer of light to meet his retina.  
He moves his head a bit more which results in even more light appearing, almost blinding him with their overwhelming contrast to the formerly dark environment he found himself in. With one quick jerk of his head he finally escapes the object that causes his temporary blindness: One of the scrolls he read during the night before. It must have fallen on his head when he fell asleep while analyzing it. The pony notices a red piece of ribbon attached to it's back, which categorizes it as one of his notes from Miss Applejack's Honesty Class, and takes the piece of parchment into his hooves to bring it closer to his face so he can read it.  
"Honesty Class, Session 7: The Pros and Cons on Honesty", he reads and quickly scans the document while catching all the important details of it.  
" 'Pros are honesty is the only way to resolve problems, an honest opinion can benefit everyone involved, being honest prevents lies and their consequences. The Cons are that honesty can cause strange and uncomfortable situations and hurt other pony's feelings'... or a griffon's feelings..."  
He gulps as he feels how his chest gets heavier and heavier as the memories of the day before return with full impact. Sandbar lowers the parchment and drops it onto the floor before getting up from his bed and, after feeling a strong pain in his head, opens his window to get some fresh air. A great idea if one has a headache but for Sandbar's situation... not a good moment.  
 _My head feels like a drum played by Miss Pinkie Pie..._ , the pony with the three turtles as a Cutie mark thinks as he puts his left hoof to his head and strokes it softly while closing one of his eyes. The School seems to be empty right now since he can't see any students entering or leaving it and, judging from the sun's current position, it should be lunch time or a bit past it so the emptiness is even more telling.  
 _I should get something too. I haven't eaten anything for a day... but I'm not really that hungry. I'm sure I can find something in my room._  
He averts his eyes from the big building and scans the inside of his room before focusing his messy closet.  
 _Somewhere in there should be a package from my mom with cookies or something like that so that should do.  
_ He turns around again and lets his eyes wander for a bit.  
 _I wonder if Ga-AHHH!  
_ While in thought he suddenly spots the blue griffon-male, who just exited the dorm with his bag around his shoulders. He takes a few steps and it seems like he's aiming for the school. Sandbar watches him for a bit even though his head tells him to hide or just get back to the bed but something inside of him prevents that. It could be the fact that he has not seen him for a whole day and his worries are taking control of his body.  
"Gallus... I'm sorry...", Sandbar mumbles and, as if the feather-covered creature heard him, the recipient of his apology turns his head slightly, causing their eyes to meet for at least a second before the pony's brain takes over the control again, causing him to quickly withdraw from the open window while almost tripping two times over his own hooves.  
 _He saw me!_ , the pale-green stallion's inner voice shouts out in panic before shutting up for about 10 seconds. Sandbar slowly sneaks back to the window and risks a quick look while trying his best to not be visible from the griffon's lower position.  
 _He is... gone?  
_ Indeed, the place Gallus was standing before is now no longer occupied and no trace even hints at him being there in the first place. A part of him is relieved about the griffon's disappearance but a different part of him enjoyed seeing him again after a longer time and wanted to see him more, risking another conflict and an extremely uncomfortable atmosphere. After this shocking experience he decides to go back to studying but the image of the griffon in his mind got reinforced by their recent, indirect meeting, causing him to lose focus, reread the same line multiple times without noticing and, all in all, messing with his head in different ways and on different levels until sleep knocks him out and finally puts his head to ease for now.

The day of the first exams is finally here and half of the students started the wave of tests with Miss Applejack's Farming exam, followed by Miss Pinkie Pie's Laughter and Party exam, which was a lot of fun for most of the students, and now this group is waiting in front of the room where Twilight's History exam will be held. Ocellus, Smolder and Silverstream are part of this group while Yona, Sandbar and Gallus were put in the second group, which starts with Fluttershy's exam on the Wildlife of Equestria, followed by Rarity's exam, which combines her Generosity class and her Fashion and Tailoring class due to lack of time. The group already finished Fluttershy's exam and is now heading for the big lecture hall on the second floor to attend the next exam on their list.  
Sandbar noticed Gallus in the group when they all waited for Miss Fluttershy to arrive but, thanks to their awkward and uncomfortable moment the day before, he tried his best to not look at him, unknowingly missing the griffon's swift peep. During the exam, Gallus was seated behind Sandbar, making it easier to not catch a glimpse of the feathered male and instead concentrate on the test. When everyone handed their parchment in, they were allowed to leave and move to the next location, in front of which the group is now standing.  
 _That was pretty easy but not a big surprise_ , Sandbar recalls the latest exam in his head, _Miss Fluttershy said that the test wouldn't be too difficult and that she would choose questions everyone could answer. I hope the others passed the test... I wonder if Ga-  
_ "Sorry Darlings!", a female voice suddenly echoes through the hallway, causing some ponies to turn their head to see where it is coming from, others to wince and Yona to let out a pretty audible gasp.  
Sandbar is one of the ponies who winced, mainly because he was lost in thoughts before Miss Rarity made her entrance.  
"I had to prepare something for my trip to Canterlot in two days. But let's not get distracted and get going."  
The white-coated unicorn's horn begins to glow bluish as she casts her magic on the doorknobs, unlocking and opening the double-door before stepping inside, followed by the group of students in a row of pairs.  
"Please go to you assigned seats and sit down for now. I will explain a bit before we start."  
"The exam got canceled?", a pale-yellow pegasus-mare asks loudly.  
A few other ponies mumble and giggle as Rarity shakes her head with a little smile.  
"Nice try Sunny Day but no. I just want to explain to you how this... a little bit different test will work. I will hand each of you a parchment scroll with twenty-four questions. The first twelve will be all about my Generosity class and the second twelve will be related to fashion and tailoring. I color-coded it two: Dark purple ink refers to Generosity, dark green refers to the other subject. I will also draw that on the board after I handed out the scrolls. Just write your answer underneath the questions or use the backside of the scroll but I would prefer it if you used the space underneath the questions. If your answer is too long or, in other words, the given space is not enough, mark the question and continue it on the back of the scroll. And don't forget to write your name on the line meant for it or else we can not officially grade it. That's all."  
With those words the scrolls levitate through the room and land on the each occupied table in the room.  
Sandbar watches as the document lands in front of him but the other flying scrolls capture his attention once again. While following one with his eyes he notices Gallus, whose face is turned towards Hotshot, a pale-red coated earth-stallion. He watches them for a few seconds before Gallus turns his head away, causing him to look directly as Sandbar. Hotshot also focuses on the pale-green stallion, whose face turns a bit reddish before averting his face to escape the weird feeling.  
 _The way he looked, they looked! That was so unpleasant... But I never saw them interact before... kinda strange...  
_ Sandbar debates if he should turn around once more to risk another look but he decides against that. Instead, he concentrates on the exam and on Miss Rarity, who finished writing the color-code on the board.  
"You get two hours so don't worry too much about the time. I believe in all of you and I know each and everyone of you can do it. Good luck!"  
The test starts and every single student opens their roll to look at the questions. Sandbar starts by reading the fashion-related questions first and, he must admits, some are a bit tougher than expected but all in all easily manageable.  
 _What is the most common used fabric for... What kind of stitch is... Name a fabric that is water-repellent... So far so good, I'll pass for sure!... I hope Gallus remembers some things I showed him like that stitch...  
_ The pony fights the urge to look at his former friend and to check how he is doing but he can't risk costing him his exam by distracting him.  
The time flies by and a few students already handed their answers in. Sandbar, who answered every single question as precisely as possible, is rereading every single one of them for the fifth time but stops as he notices someone walking past him with a completely covered scroll grasped in his talon.  
 _He must have written every word down he remembered! Not a bad idea considering some answers ask for explanations_ , the stallion tries to explain the amount of words on the griffon's scroll and watches him as he hands it over to Miss Rarity, who thanks him and wishes him a good day, before heading for the door.  
Suddenly, the blue male stops and Sandbar swears he saw his eyes targeting him for a few seconds before Gallus completely disappeared into the hallway. It could have been just his imagination but something inside him takes charge of his actions.  
 _Now is my chance!  
_ Sandbar quickly rolls his scroll back the way it was when he got it and stands up so he can give it to his teacher, who watches him as he walks towards her. He hands her the piece of parchment and immediately aims for the door but Miss Rarity stops him after she opened the scroll again and noticed something very important.  
"Darling! You forgot to write your name on it. Would you please be so kind and do it? Here, take my quill."  
She uses her magic to levitate the quill and the piece of parchment in front of Sandbar and he quickly puts his name in the top left corner.  
"Sorry! Totally missed that", he admits with a embarrassed smile but his teacher just smiles at him as she takes it back to her desk and puts it on the stack next to her.  
"It's alright. I wish you a nice day and good luck with the rest of the exams."  
Sandbar nods at her before rushing out of the room, hoping to get a chance to talk to his feathered classmate but, much to his annoyance and disappointment, he stands alone in the hallway.  
 _Damn... He must have left already...  
_ His ears drop a bit but they quickly stand tall again as he hears a voice behind him. It's Hotshot, the pony who was talking to Gallus.

"Looking for your bird-friend?", the pale-red pony, who just left the room, asks after closing the door.  
Sandbar turns his head towards him and nods.  
"Yeah. I wanted to talk to him about so-"  
"Do yourself and him a favor and just leave him alone", Hotshot interrupts as he passes him while aiming for the stairs leading to the floor beneath, "He told me everything. I guess I misjudged him and you. Who would have thought you were the rotten apple among you two? If you really want to make it up to him..."  
The stallion stops for a moment before looking bad the stallion, who stares at him with wide eyes.  
"Stay out of his way."  
With those words Hotshot leaves the pony alone with a devilish grin on his face, which is hidden from Sandbar's field of view.  
 _I... But...  
_ those are the only thoughts the pony's mind can come up because of the shock, which paralyzed him.  
 _This... can't be it... I finally realize the feelings I have for him is love and... I immediately mess it up...  
_ Tears begin to form in his eyes as he slowly makes his way back to his room, where he slumps into the bed and stays there for the rest of the day, filling his pillow with tears and muffled sobs.


	18. Path 2: Sounds of Silence

**Yeeeeeah... Sorry for not updating this story in SUCH A LONG TIME! I was really busy with school, other stories and hobbies and my laptop just quit on me so I lost the almost completed chapter. But I caught up and I hope I can finish it by the end of 2019!**  
 **Merry Christmas to all of my readers and thank your all for liking my story :)**  
 **I am already working on a sequel! I hope you will like that one too!  
** **Don't forget that there is an update to the other Path as well!**  
 **Okay, enough of that. Here is the chaper:**

The rest of the exams go by in a flash without any real interaction between Sandbar and Gallus except from seeing each other in every single one. Sometimes, Sandbar wonders if it really is the right decision to leave him alone. Maybe Hotshot just misunderstood him and, in reality, Gallus wants to talk about it but every single time he sees a chance he hesitates and, after a bit of thinking, decides against it. In his mind, what his classmate said made sense. Of course Gallus needs some time for himself and being forced to deal with the one that deceived him would stress out and hurt the griffon even more than he already was that day. Hotshot's warning eyes, when Sandbar attempts to start an interaction, and approving nods, every time he steps back again and minds his own business, are more factors which ultimately keep Sandbar away from his former friend and, with no idea what else to do, he retreats into his room, drops himself on his bed and just... stays there quiet until sleep takes over his body and mind.

That is the plan for the last day of the exams too. The last exam, which is Twilight's History exam, takes place in the early evening. He only spends as much times as he need, which is a bit more because of his constant problems remembering things and concentrating, and, right after handing in his scroll, he heads for the dorms. He reaches the entrance of the dorm building but before he can enter it a pale grayish arctic blue foreleg, which suddenly appears in front of him, wakes him up from his gloomy trance as he lets out a shriek.  
"Hey Sandbar, sorry for surprising you like that but I need to tell you something."  
The pony takes a quick breath before answering her with a visibly forced smile.  
"No, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention at all. What is it, Ocellus?"  
The Changeling analyzes the stallion inconspicuously and notices the strange smile but decides to not bring it up now. Instead, she tells him why she stopped him.  
"My original plan was to tell you, Gallus and Yona together but when I met her at the exam room she told me that you two were already done and left early so I came here because I figured you or Gallus would come here sooner or later but, so far, only you showed up. Strange... So, the group wants to meet tomorrow to talk about how the exams went. You're coming too, right?"  
 _A meeting? That could distract me from... wait, he will be there too... I don't know if that is such a good idea. I don't want to cause a scene and bring the others into this mess. Then again, this could be a good chance to finally talk to him without Hotshot around and without a way of dodging it! I'm sure he does not want to generate Buzz either!_ , the pale-green pony thinks to himself before agreeing to his friend's idea.  
"I could need some distraction from this whole thing. Sure, when and where?"  
"We thought that we could meet in the garden behind the school at about 2pm to eat something too. You know, where we met before the big study sessions began."  
 _Where this entire mess began... how fitting..._ , he criticizes the choice of place in his mind as he nods his head again.  
"Of course I know. 2pm, count me in", Sandbar accepts the female's invitation and waves her goodbye as he passes her but she quickly grabs his tail, forcing him to stop once more.  
"S-Sorry! But do you know where I can find Gallus? I thought, if somepony should know, it would be you. So, do you?"  
 _No, I don't... Why should I? The last thing he said to me was to leave him alone. I don't think he would tell me anything anymore...  
_ The stallion feels how his eyes begin to burn and a knot begin to form in his stomach as he shakes his head and replies with a simple "No... Sorry..." before rushing off into the dorm building and, without wasting any second, straight into his room, leaving Ocellus behind, who faintly shakes her head as she gazes after him.  
 _Something is different... I can feel it... I can sense it..._

As soon as Sandbar slams his door shut, the tears begin to travels down his cheeks and his intestines feel like the knot, that began to form before, became even bigger on the way and has now reached its maximum size, filling his entire body and causing him to feel a mixture of numbness and pain. To prevent his body from collapsing on the floor, he quickly throws himself onto his bed, where he spend every single second since the confrontation with Hotshot, excluding his daily meal in the cafeteria and the hours during the exams. Sometimes he cries, sometimes he screams into his pillow how mad he is at himself for screwing everything up, other times he thinks about how Gallus must feel like right now and the times between that he just lies there without any motivation to do anything or go anywhere. He quickly buries his face in his pillow, which begins to absorb the clear liquid that exits the stallion's body through the tear glands, gaining darker parts in the process. It takes a few minutes until he withdraws his head from it's soft and wet surrounding and drops it next to it, taking a few deep breaths as the burning sensation in his slightly reddening eyes begins to fade away slowly. He remembers what Ocellus told him about their upcoming plans the next day and recalls his train of thought surrounding it.  
 _Yeah... Gallus will be there too, there is no doubt about it. I will use this chance and finally talk to him! We can't just leave it like that, no matter what Hotshot said. We are friends after all... right? I mean, sure we are! If not more than at least friends and I won't give up on that! And if Gallus shows up too I am sure he thinks the same. We've been together since day one, we've made it through good and bad times! There is no way of changing that... I hope...  
_ A trace of insecurity begins to cloud his mind but his will to fix what he destroyed clears the air and fills him with new dedication and, for the first time since that dreadful day, the pony falls asleep with a smile on his face.

No bad nor good dreams haunt or embellish his night of rest as he awakes from his slumber roughly half an hour before the destined time but, since there is no other thing to do, he quickly grabs a few Bits and leaves his room, setting his goal on the table they met when all this started. He arrives at the cafeteria, which seems to be more busy than the last few days but not nearly as populated as it is during the normal school days. He can recognize a few ponies from his class such as Faint Breeze and Velvet Sky, who are sitting at a table talking. His mouth forms into a faint smile while grabbing a food tray and taking a look at today's menu.  
 _Hmm... That apple pie looks delicious and something sweet sounds not bad.  
_ The stallion places one of the slices on his tray and continues his search for something else until his gaze settles on a jug filled with delicious lemonade, which he carefully pours into an empty glass before placing it next to the pastry. As he prepares himself for paying his food he passes by the Griffonscones Gallus loves so much and an idea pops into his head.  
 _I should buy one for him! He loves those and I'm sure eating one will cheer him up a bit. That's a great idea!  
_ With now three items on his tray he gives Mrs. Frosting the Bits she requests before heading for his real destination, the garden. It is quite empty, as most of the students are either inside or not in the school at all, and he can't see any of his friends so he reserves the right for himself to pick one of the three free tables to sit down and wait until the others arrive. He picks the one closest to the garden's exit, which leads to a little path, that later runs into the main way connecting the dormitories and the school-building, and sits down in the middle of one of the two benches belonging to the table before placing the plate with the Griffonscone to his right, reserving this seat for the feathered male.

The first of his friends to arrive is Silverstream, who, upon seeing her friend, immediately raises to the air and rushes towards him to give him a big hug before sitting down across from him and greeting him with a big smile. She ordered herself a cupcake, which does not surprise Sandbar. Only a minute or two after her, Yona and Ocellus make their entrance, both equipped with a tray filled with something delicious to eat. The female yak filled her tray with several different treats which makes the Changeling's tray look emptier in comparison, only having a Peanut-Butter and Jelly Sandwich to show. Yona takes her seat next to Silverstream and gives her a bright smile. The female Changeling decides to choose the free spot to the stallion's left. She greets him with a nod and Sandbar answers it with the same motion. Smolder, the last female member of their clique, takes a bit more time to show up, about five minutes after the other two ladies with nothing in her claws.  
"Smolder not hungry?", Yona asks and receives a head-shake as a response.  
She sits down next to Silverstream and across from Ocellus. The group continues to wait so its final member can show up but that does not happen.  
"He sure is taking his time", Ocellus comments the griffon's tardiness as she takes a look at her watch, proving him to be five minutes late.  
Sandbar gets nervous as he also takes a quick look at the bigger clock above the door they all came through and confirming her statement.  
 _It is not unusual for him to be late but I thought today would be different... Guess he overslept.  
_ "I bet this lazygriffon is still sleeping. I will give him one wake-up-call he will never forget", the dragoness impends as she stands up and leaves the garden, aiming for Sandbar and Gallus' dormitory.  
 _Oh... Smolder is gonna give him a piece of her mind... most likely with her fists. Now I am really glad I bought those Griffonscones. He will need them to get in a good mood again,_ the pale-green stallion predicts the future as he watches the dragon disappear from his field of vision.  
It takes a few minutes before she returns but without the griffon and with her arms crossed in front of her chest as she heads for the table and sits down again.  
"So... Where is he?", the Hippogriff asks confused, which gains a sigh from the scaled female before she explains.  
"He said that he doesn't want to leave his room the next few days. He doesn't feel like himself and has a major head- and stomachache. I told him to get better or else and now I'm back here."  
Sandbar hears a loud sound, like glass breaking, in his head as the image of him and Gallus finally making up and hanging out again begins to crack and, in the end, turns into nothing else but a pile of shards. Without really noticing it, his look moves away from the dragon and refocuses on the scones he placed next to himself on the bench.  
 _Th...That can't be real... I bet its because of me... Of course it is! No wonder he doesn't want to come! Why did I even think it would work just like that? How can this get any worse!?  
_ "I guess it can't be helped", Ocellus comments the griffon's condition and the others agree with her.  
"But, I think, this is the first time I've heard him admitting being too sick to come. Like, ever!", Silverstream says and the orange dragon agrees with her.  
"You're right!", she adds as she nods her head, "Usually he says its to boring or he's too tired to come but actually saying that he's sick is new. Sandbar! You've spend a lot of time with him lately, right? Do you know anything? Was he acting strange or looking sickly?"  
 _Of course... I had to challenge my luck...  
_ The pony, whose eyes were still focusing on the delicious treats next to him, finally faces his friends again and, without saying a word, he shakes his head.  
"Pony doesn't know either?", the female yak asks again but Sandbar doesn't answer. He stays completely silent, not even his body-language grants any room for interpreting so they accept the situation and begin to talk about the exam and how they all did. They all think they passed but, of course, some have subjects they aren't as sure about. For Ocellus, it was PE as she knows she did really bad in one of the tasks. Yona had a few problems with Fluttershy's exam but, by far, not enough to fail it. And so the conversation goes on until a loud voice echoes from the various speakers scattered all over the school and the dorms, overshadowing any way of communication with its volume.

"My dear Students of this School. Here is your principal, Twilight Sparkle. All exams are officially taken and our staff is currently busy with grading them, I am sure all of you passed so it won't take that long and I'm already looking forward to seeing your happy faces when you get your grades. But that's enough of that. For now, let us all forget about the stress and enjoy the last week of the semester and, to celebrate it the correct way, I asked Miss Pinkie Pie to take over this announcement. "  
A short period of silence fills the hallways, the rooms and the garden before a loud voices almost bursts everyone's eardrums.  
"ALRIGHT! LET'S PARTY!"  
Silence follows again as muffled voices can be heard before the voice returns but way quieter than before.  
"I mean... The preparation for the big Heart's Warming Dance is already in action and many volunteers are helping with the decoration, food, music and cleaning up so I want to thank all of you! Yay! You are AMAZING!We can always need help so, if you don't have anything else to do, JOIN US! The Dance will take place at evening on the day after the day after tomorrow... at evening, so when the small thing is at the bottom of the clock and the big one is at the top! And then... the party will go on forever! … Which means sunrise, if that is okay. Everyone is welcome and is also welcome to leave whenever they want. You can come alone, come with your best friends, with your normal friends or you could takes this chance to ask your very special somepony out, it's the perfect opportunity! But no matter who you will come with, come, have fun and enjoy the time... and NO PARTYPOOPERS! Be happy! That's all. Back to Twilight."  
Silence fills the school for the third time but, surprisingly, Pinkie Pie's voice returns.  
"Almost forgot! The Dance takes place in Town's Hall since it has the biggest hall in Ponyville. Okay, noooooow back to Twilight!"  
Again, you guessed it, silence before Twilight Sparkle thanks her fellow teacher and friend for her well-chosen words and repeats the important parts so no one forgets it. She wishes everyone a lot of fun and hopes to see as many of her students as possible before ending the announcement, which cues the students' conversations to take over again.

"Oh yeah! I totally forgot about the Dance! Soooo excited!"  
Silverstream's eyes sparkle as she takes the lead and steers their little talk into a new direction, "Do we all want to go together? Just imagine, all of us having fun like on our first day! Just without the danger and running away and standing up for our friends and ourselves. Instead we will have food, music and dancing!"  
"So...", Smolder comments her friend's argument, "not like our first day... at all? It sounds stupid but I guess hanging out with you again will be pretty cool... But first: Do I need to wear a dress?"  
The female dragon looks at her friends as she gains various reactions. Silverstream, Ocellus and Yona nod their heads, much to Smolder's displeasure, but Sandbar shakes his, with a shocked expression decorating his head.  
"Three to one, I guess a dress it is", Ocellus announces the result with a smile but Smolder is not happy at all.  
"Why me...", she mumbles as she crosses her arms in front of her chest.  
Yona also agrees with Silverstream's idea and, after being silent for so long, Sandbar also gives his opinion on this matter.  
"Sounds good, I'm in. Wanna meet up fifteen minutes before so we can all enter together?"  
That idea receives approval from all attending members and Ocellus volunteers for telling Gallus about their plan. Now that everything considering the party was taken care of, the students continue their non-sensual talking but Sandbar only understands small chunks of it. His mind is currently occupied with something, or someone, else.

The next two days are filled with staying in his room, sleeping and doing a bit of needlework to distract from the inner conflict he couldn't resolve since its creation. From time to time he pays a quick visit to the cafeteria to get something to eat and to drink before returning to his own four walls. When not feeling like doing nothing he takes a break from doing... nothing and watches the other students walk by from his window. In contrast to his friends, the other students seem very stressed with finding a date or just people to go with as they run from the school-building to the dorms and vice-versa. He can see a few stallions with presents like flowers or something else in their mouths, on their backs or floating in front of them in their respective magical aura. Without even noticing it Sandbar begins to drift off into his own mind, which visualizes the memories with the Aurora's Kiss. From the first time seeing it with Gallus to buying it secretly and ending with the memory of giving it to Gallus when they got back. Remembering that immediately lowers his spirit, drains his motivation and makes him feel even worse than before as he remembers the way Gallus reacted to the present and comparing it.

Finally, the day of the Dance is here! The school-building itself is very quiet and empty and only a few ponies can be seen walking around, either back to their dorms or heading for the school-building, most likely to get something to eat. Sandbar, who belongs to the firstly named group, returns from his meal and disappears in his room again. He immediately heads for his closet and, after a quick search, takes out a dark gray jacket, a white shirt and a dark greenish bow-tie. His parents send him those items when they heard about the Big Dance a longer time ago so he stored them in his closet so he wouldn't lose them. As he tries on the bow-tie, a knock on his door surprises him.  
"Just a moment", he shouts as he quickly puts the accessory down and heads for the door.  
He opens it and already begins to ask what the unexpected guest could want but his words die in his throat as he realizes who stands in front of him.  
"Sandbar! Perfect! Finally the right room. I've been knocking on dozen of other doors before finding yours! I need your help", the pink mare says as she jumps up and down over and over again.  
 _Miss Pinkie Pie?! What is she do- Wait... She needs my help? Wow! That's my chance to show what I can do!"  
_ "O-O-Of course Miss Pinkie Pie! What is it? Is a villain taking over Equestria? A big catastrophe? Parasprites? Windigos?"  
He gasps before continuing in a whispered voice, "Is Chancellor Neighsay back? I knew something like that would happen... We co-"  
Pinkie Pie quickly covers his mouth with her hoof and giggles.  
"No Silly! Nothing like that... Well, maybe the catastrophe-part is not completely wrong if WE DON'T DO SOMETHING! I need you"  
"Yes?", Sandbar asks her with big eyes.  
"To save the world"  
"Yes!"  
"by"  
"YES!"  
"finding a very special item in the cellar of the Town Hall for the party later. A dangerous task, I know, but I believe in you."  
The pink-maned teacher waits for a reaction with a big smile and closed eyes.  
"YES! I knew I-", Sandbar cheers excitedly before processing the words and his excitement quickly fades away, "Wait, what?"  
 _Did she say... find party-stuff? That's it? Doesn't sound like a big and important task. Buuuut... she did come to me and it did sound like I am the only one who can help. I can't let her down!  
_ The male pony sees Pinkie's expecting expression and he quickly changes his own reaction accordingly.  
"W-What? And you think I can handle that? Wow! Thank you! I'd be honored to help you with... that important task... Hehe..."  
The mare's smiles widens as she turns around and leads the way until the two ponies reach Ponyville's Town Hall, the location of the party, and now also Sandbar's mission.  
"Follow me! Down those stairs and we're almost there!"  
Two more minutes of walking and the two ponies find themselves in front of a bigger closed door in a darker hallway.  
"Here we are!", Pinkie Pie whispers as she points at the door.  
 _Were are we?_ , the stallion thinks to himself the same moment Pinkie exclaims their arrival.  
He takes a look around but nothing here rings any bells... most likely because he was never down here AND it's pretty dark right now.  
"Oh... good. So here is where I'm needed?", Sandbar asks and Pinkie nods.  
"Exactutaly! I'm sure you two will find it pretty fast!  
"I sure hope so too... You two?"  
Pinkie ignores that questions and pulls the door open, revealing a shadowy figure, who is looking around but stops as it hears the door.  
 _Oh you've got to be kidding me! What are the chances even!?  
_ "I figured you could use a helping hand... or wing to reach the higher places so I asked your friend for his help as well. Found something already, Gallus?"  
He stays silent for a moment, clearly taking in the situation and the image of Sandbar in front of him, before shaking his head.  
"Nope because of two reason: Number one: this room is filled with useless stuff, broken things and... objects I couldn't even identify! It will take hours to find anything in all this junk! Can't you ponies throw ANYTHING away? And number two: You never said anything about WHAT I'm looking for!"  
 _Yep... that annoyed voice belongs to Gallus, no doubt.  
_ "Oh yeah! Silly me", Pinkie Pie lets out a giggle before explaining everything the two need to know, "Alright! We need a special... erm... what was it again... Some kind of stone that Twilight got from... No... Ah! Yes! A blue balloon with the symbol of the school! It's a key object for the Dance!"  
 _A... balloon? That's all? No magic object, no rare gems, not even cups! One single balloon?!"  
_ The two males' jaws drop as they hear those words and they give each other a quick look which says something like 'is she serious?' before refocusing on the pale-pink-coated mare.  
"We are here... for a balloon? The important task is... looking for a balloon?", the griffon-boy asks and his voice shows a touch of anger and annoyance.  
"Not any balloon, THE balloon! We have all the time we need so take all the time you need! … And with that I mean three hours. I'm upstairs so come find me when you are done here!"  
Before Sandbar can even make any sound Pinkie already left the room and closed the door behind her. He is now alone... with Gallus... in this room.

He can hear the feather-covered male utter something under his own breath as he sits around and, even though he can not understand any word his classmate says, he can tell it's nothing positive. The room now captures his attention and he begins to take a look around. He is sure it is a fairly big room but the many shelves filled with all kind of stuff for different occasions makes it seem way smaller and cramped. The shelves are divided in eleven long, equally-sized sections. The lowermost one goes, in height, from the floor to the upper half of Sandbar's legs and is, in length, superior to Sandbar. Unlike the dark hallway leading to it, this room has a working light, which showers it in a pleasant glow, not too bright but bright enough to see everything perfectly. Most of the stuff on the shelves look like trash or obsolete items stored in here for a long time. Sandbar begins to investigate the shelf that catches his attention first and notices many strange, dusty objects.  
 _No offense but most of it look like trash. How are we suppose to find a single balloon? It sure isn't even inflated so we are basically looking for a small, rubbery bag.  
_ He sighs and notices a little thing that could be a not inflated balloon... or trash, which he carefully picks up. At first glance it looks like a small, dirty bag with nothing on it but, just to be sure, he blows of the dust, which stays in the air like a small, dirty cloud before fading into nothingness. Sadly, it still looks like a normal, little bag.  
 _Oh you have got to be kidding m-  
_ His thought comes to an abrupt stop as he feels something on his hoof, a slight tickle of some sort, and his eyes widen when he detects its source. A little, black bug, who hid inside the bag, crawled out when Sandbar blew on his home and is currently making his way down the leg, much to the pony's horror. An instinct kicks in and he immediately starts shaking his leg as fast as possible, aiming for fending off the little animal while shouting as loud as he can.  
"AHHH! Get off, get off! Shoosh!"  
The dark spot disappears from his brightly coated limb and his mind deactivates the security measurement, leading to Sandbar to calm down more and more and his hectic movements to slowly cease. He inspects his foreleg once more and, with a sigh of relief, comes to the conclusion that the spider is gone.  
 _That... was terrifying... This room is the worst! There are bugs everywhere, its small but still filled to the brim AND dusty. Finding this balloon is impossible..._  
A chuckle catches his attention and he could swear it was Gallus' voice but, after taking a inconspicuous look at him, he immediately drops that possibility and, instead, blames one of the many different objects here for that sound. And, with the goal in his mind, he officially begins his search and, judging by the sounds he hears, Gallus also starts searching. The time goes by slower and slower in this, besides the rustling of objects and the sound of blowing, silent room and Sandbar has the feeling that every single second feels like ten seconds. He already finished the first four sections, which felt like an eternity, and is now working on a way to get to the fifth one, which is out of his reach.  
 _There must be something here I can use... Ah!  
_ He finds a big, sturdy-looking box, that should be able to carry him, not far from his position and so, without losing any time, he places it exactly where he needs it. Carefully, he climbs on the box and notices something immediately.  
 _Wow! That thing was even bigger than I thought! I can easily reach the eighth or even ninth level but now I have to bow down a bit to reach the fifth one... A bit annoying but manageable. It was a good idea, good job me!  
_ He continues the search in the level he was aiming for. Some more time goes by and, just like before, silence rules the environment, which slowly gets into Sandbar's head more and more!  
 _This... is really awkward... I swear I can hear the dust flying to the air! One more minute and I'll go crazy! Maybe I should say something, something normal and unrelated. Or should I talk about...  
_ While his mind is busy working on a plan his body continues with the search, which mostly consists of taking something out, investigating it, cleaning off the dust if necessary and, ultimately, placing it one shelf below to have some kind of system. He already finished the eighth level and is now aiming for the ninth one. It's a bit higher than he thought but he manages to reach it by standing on his hind leg. A strange noise begins to add itself to the orchestra of rustling, clanging and rasping but, due to his inner monologue, the earth-pony manages to completely dismiss this sound and, unbeknownst to him, a completely different one.  
". o..", a voice tries to break the barrier and reach Sandbar's mind but only parts of it manage to pass through.  
 _What was that? It sounded... different than the noises around me. Kind of... calming..._  
An even louder sound attempts the same and, once again, parts of it succeed, this time more than before.  
"..y! W.t.. o.t, .a..y!"  
Sandbar feels how his inner voice begins to drown in the noise and he awakes from his state. The first thing his senses pick up is a very familiar voice echoing throughout the room.  
"SANDY! WATCH OUT!"

But before he can even begin to grasp the situation, he feels how the ground below his hooves breaks away and how he loses his balance. The shelf in front of him begins to back away and, ultimately leaves his field of vision. Instead, the ceiling takes its place as he falls and prepares himself for a painful, hard landing... which never comes. He can feel how some parts of his body make contact with something soft while others meet something solid but not nearly as hard and uncomfortable as the floor he expected to land on. And the image of the ceiling his retina captures is being invaded by two blue eyes looking down at him, a yellow beak, which moves rapidly, as well as blue and yellow feathers.  
 _G...Ga...Gallus! How? What happened?! Huh...  
_ Sandbar knows his classmate is saying something but his brain has not yet recovered from the shock and a ringing sound drowns out the words. But slowly the voice begins to fight back against the annoying sound.  
"W..t we.. .ou ! I ..ew . hea.. som...ing stra..e."  
And, finally, all words find their destination.  
"Do you even know how dangerous that was? I mean, respect and all but seriously... Hey! Are you okay? Can you hear me?"  
"I... guess...", the stallion answers, not daring to interrupt the bond their eyes created, "What happened?"  
His mind is still in a paralyze-like state but that doesn't stop his mouth from doing its job.  
A sigh escapes the griffon and the shocked expression begins to morph into a worried one as he still holds the other male in his arms.  
"That stupid box you were standing on gave away. To be honest, it didn't look that sturdy to begin with. A miracle it held as long as it did. What were you thinking?! You could have really hurt yours-"  
"Thank you, Gallus", Sandbar interrupts the feathered male who stops his jabbering immediately.  
"Come on... Don't mention it, really. I couldn't just let you fa-", the griffon tries to response but once again he gets interrupted.  
"For catching me... for being worried about me... for talking to me... and for calling me..."  
The stallion's voice begins to tremble as tears begin to form in his eyes, which he immediately tries to cover up with his hooves but all that hiding shows no use when the one hiding them from already noticed it. The sound of muffled sobbing adds to the image in Gallus' arms, a crying pony he never stopped caring about.  
"... Sandy...", the griffon-male completes his friend's sentence, who answers with a pained wheeze.  
The griffon slows down his flaps to slowly descend while still keeping the pony in his arms. Upon lading, he stays completely quiet to give his pony-friend a bit of time to get everything out of his system while not even thinking about letting him go even for a second.


	19. Path 2: True Words, True Feelings

It takes a few minutes but eventually Sandbar's sobbing ceases and the tears, which ran down his cheeks, stop forming. Slowly, the stallions removes his hooves from his slightly swollen reddish eyes. He stays silent as he tries his best to dodge the griffon's gaze, which is targeting the male in his arms.  
"How are you feeling?", the griffon-boy asks but, for a moment he doesn't get an answer.  
Eventually he can hear a weaker voice say something, accompanied by a few quiet sniffles.  
"A bit better", Sandbar mumbles before staying quiet once more.  
His mind is still a complete mess, a tornado of thoughts, fears, hopes and voices that reek havoc and disable his ability to think.  
He hears how a sigh escapes the feather-covered male and his eyes try to catch a quick glimpse of his face, which, much to his surprise, shows a frown instead of the worried expression he had when he caught him.  
"Good, so let me ask you... What were you thinking?! That was super dangerous and one of the worst ideas you've ever had! Not only is the floor as hard as rocks but, thanks to the box, there are so many sharp wooden flinders you could have landed on. You scared me half to death, you know that?"  
The sudden outburst completely paralyzes Sandbar who, with a blank expression, watches how his classmate goes on and on with his scolding. Even the storm in his head, which, in comparison to the griffon's outburst, feels like a gentle breeze, begins to calm down as all the voices and thoughts get drowned out by the griffon's voice. After what felt like an hour of non-stop talking, Gallus sharply inhales to restore the air in his lungs, returning silence to the room and giving Sandbar a chance to analyze the words the griffon spat out and the meaning they carry.  
 _Again I caused him problems and made him mad... I should have just left when I saw him and listened to Hotshot...  
_ These thoughts torment his head and body, causing a stinging pain in his chest and a feeling in his stomach that could rival a stomachache in terms of unpleasantness. In an attempt to lift the sickening feeling, he attempts something he wanted to do for so long but never got the chance again until now.  
"I'm sorry...", he begins to mumble with a shaking voice, much like the voice he used when he thanked his friend earlier.  
Those words capture Gallus' attention and, especially the tearful undertone, push the anger he felt aside and make place for all the concern he has for the pony to return.  
"I'm sorry...for everything... For not telling you... for annoying you... for not leaving you alo..."  
Once again tears roll down Sandbar's cheeks and the words he tries to form get replaced with louder sniffles and sobbing as his body and mind completely relinquishes control. Gallus notices how the little spheres of water leave the stallion's eyes and feels how the pony's body trembles weakly, giving him another hint at how much his classmate is truly fighting with their current situation and with the past events, which he carried all this time close to his heart. Hoping to take some of the burden from him, he spreads his wings and uses one to gently brushes the two-toned mane while the other catches some of the tears and wipe them away. Sandbar, who notices the movement in his mane and the soft object pressed against his cheek, can feel how he slowly regains control over his body, stopping it from trembling and trying his best to reduce the amount of sniffling and the volume of his sobbing. Even though he is only mildly successful, Gallus' worry shrink when he becomes aware of the change in body-language but it does not stop him from continuing his treatment.  
"Shhh... Stop saying nonsense like that", he whispers just loud enough for the pony to hear, "You and annoying me? Nonsense! Why would you even think that?"  
The lack of mind-control prevents Sandbar from really thinking about what to and what not to say so he just vocalizes anything that comes his mind.  
"I... y...", the pony attempts to form a sentence but only a few sounds come out accompanied by multiple, quiet sobs, "Ho-Hot...shot... he-  
"Hotshot?!", Gallus almost yells when he hears the name of that well-known pony, who bothered him before, "That pony causes trouble wherever he goes! He should be called Hot Mess, would be way more fitting. What did he do to you?"  
The unexpected raise in volume shocks Sandbar a bit, silencing him for a few seconds before he continues his stammering explanation.  
"He... he told me... to stay out of... of your way... He said that you talked... to him about what happened."  
Hearing all of this enrages the griffon even more, proven by how his claws begin to tremble and the way he clenches his teeth as he begins to mumble something under his own breath.  
"I swear... When I see him I wi- No... That doesn't matter now"  
He realizes that this is not the right moment to let his emotions get the better of him, not again. Slowly he breaths in and out to reduce the effect his boiling temper has and, luckily, he is able to control it and, finally, cool it down again, making rational thinking as well as appropriate talking possible.  
"I'd rather face eight hours of detention before voluntarily talking to him. Before the exam he just kept on annoying me so I advised him to keep his muzzle out of our business, that's all. Why would you even beli- "  
He swallows the last part of the sentence when the familiar flashback pops up in his mind, showing himself aggressively ordering the pony he currently holds in his arms to leave him alone and ending with a sound of a door being slammed shut. A flashback he had multiple times since then followed by the feeling of regret and self-loathing.  
"Of course you believed it... After all, why wouldn't you have? After what I said and how I acted", the griffon quietly answers his previous question followed by an audible gulp, as if he just swallowed a rock he kept in his beak for a long time.  
The conversation falls silent once again as the two males are trapped in their own thoughts. Gallus is busy blaming himself for how their situation escalated and is ashamed of his lack of actions and guts while Sandbar tries to understand the overall meaning of the recently spoken words. But something else gains his attention when the blue male continues to talk.

"I... never really meant what I said back there, you know... I was confused and angry... I just lost complete control and just wanted to get away, to find a spot to think, to understand and to calm down but you kept... you kept on trying to explain something I couldn't, I did not want to understand in that moment and then... I heard that voice in my head and it kept on talking to me, yelling and I just wanted it to shut up, to leave, to disappear... It's true that I partly meant you but my main target was that voice in my head. After that I flew up to my room and tried to calm down but something inside of me just... snapped. I pitched a fit... Eventually, I blew off my steam and was able to think straight again but the damage was already done. I did something I had no idea how to fix, if it can be fixed... I should have gone back, I should have apologized that day... But I didn't and I dodged every other chance ever since... I'm sorry..."  
Sandbar, who couldn't help but stare at the griffon, who averted his sad eyes halfway through his explanation, begins to understand what all those words are supposed to spell out and, without even realizing it, gives this thought a sound and a ring.  
"So... You don't... hate me?"  
This question catches the griffon off-guard and, with a clear sign of panic, he tries to form a sentence of confirmation.  
"What?! N-No, o-o-of course not! I could never hate you! Quite the opposite actul-", but before he can completely spill the beans he can stop himself and turn the rest of the sentence into a pretty awkward sounding laughter, "hehe"  
He shows his equine classmate a smile, a smile that only lasts a few seconds before disappearing as he opens his beak to add a question that he needs answered.  
"What about you? After what I said... Do you... hate m-"  
Sandbar, who blushes faintly as he shows his friend an honest smile , places one of his hooves on the feathers which are brushing against his cheek and applies a small amount of pressure, just enough to stop his friend from continuing the sentence and sending a wave of heat through his entire body, causing him to blush as well. The two males stare into each others eyes as silence returns and dominates the room once more.  
"Never... It was my fault too. I'm just glad... to have you back", the pony answers in a gentle voice. Gallus, overwhelmed by the thought of finally being reunited with Sandbar, can feel how tears begin to form in his eyes so, in order to hide it, he offers his friend to take a little break and catch some air.  
"I... could really go for some fresh air right now. All this dust in here is really rubbing me the wrong way. Sandy, do you want to take a quick walk before getting this job done?"  
Sandbar, who noticed the growing glimmer in the other male's eyes, theorizes the reason for the sudden request and giggles before nodding.  
"Sounds great, let's go."  
Carefully, Gallus puts the pony back on his own four hooves and together the two aim for the door but before the griffon can even reach for the knob, the wooden object suddenly swings open and a yellow-coated Pegasus mare stands in its frame. Her greenish eyes grow a bit when she notices the two males in front of her and a little shriek escapes her as she jumps back a bit.

"Miss Fluttersyh!?", Sandbar asks, "Sorry, we didn't mean to startle you like that. Are you okay?"  
The mare takes a deep breath before showing them her well-known lovely smile followed by a nod.  
"Oh, of course. I just thought that this room would be empty. What are you even doing here? Why aren't you upstairs?"  
"Miss Pinkie Pie asked for our help", the blue and yellow feathered male answers the teacher's first question, "She needed to find something for the party. It was a... um..."  
"A special blue balloon with the school's crest on it! She called it a key object for the Dance. We just wanted to go for a quick walk before getting back to searching", the stallion continues the sentence followed by a smile from both of them.  
Fluttershy, who is clearly a bit overwhelmed by the sudden burst of information, blinks two times before covering her mouth with her left front hoof and giggling quietly into it. The two males look at each other for a second before refocusing on the mare, who excuses herself for her reaction and begins to explain why she found it funny.  
"I am really sorry boys but it looks like Pinkie Pie wasted your time with this. She must have taken Spike's joke a bit too serious. So sorry you two got dragged into this mess. This 'oh so special balloon' is just a blue balloon like any other and they are all hanging in the party room with the rest of the decorations."  
 _What_ , the two males think simultaneously and both of their mouths drop open.  
"So", Sandbar stammers with an obvious hint of disappointment in his voice, "There was no real crisis to avert? No rare item to find?"  
"I'm afraid not... really sorry. I will talk to her later and tell her to apologize, okay?"  
"That's not necessary! It wasn't that bad and no one got hurt", the stallion argues, much to his fellow classmate surprise.  
"But you al-"  
Sandbar nudges him with his shoulder, sending him a clear message that way.  
"I mean... Yeah, it's fine. No harm was done so let's just forget it ever happened."  
"Miss Fluttershy", the earth-stallion asks, "what exactly do you mean when you said 'why aren't you upstairs'?"  
The yellow-coated mare's smile disappears when she hears that question and a confused expression takes its place as she tries to explain the meaning behind that sentence.  
"I mean why aren't you at the party? So many students are already dancing and Twilight already started her big talk. I came down here because one of the kitchen mares asked for a specific utensil for the cupcakes."  
"Wait... What?", the pony interrupts the mare with a question she has a bit of trouble understanding so she decides to go with the first answer that comes to her mind.  
"I don't really know what it does. Something to fill them I think or maybe for the glaze-"  
"Not that! The dance! It already started?", Gallus tries to define his friend's question a bit better and, thanks to that, Fluttershy can completely understand and answer it now.  
"Oh yes, half an hour ago or so. Wait... How long have you been down here?"  
Once again the two males look at each other as they form the word 'wow' with their mouths.  
"Long enough apparently"  
"Then better get upstairs as quick as possible! See you upstairs after I'm done searching", the pegasus mare sees the two off with a friendly smile before passing them and focusing entirely on the shelves surrounding her.  
With no other task at hand, Sandbar and Gallus decide to see what their teacher just told them about with their own eyes and head upstairs. With every step the music they couldn't hear before grows louder and louder.  
"Wow... We must have been searching for hours and hours", the stallion wonders while they make their way up the stairs and Gallus agrees with a nod.  
"No wonder. That room was huge and with so many shelves full of junk and without windows... Time can fly by like nothing. I should have known something was off with that task. Ponies can be strange but there is no chance they need a specific balloon for something like a dance."  
"There was a magical party hat in one of the books I saw at the library but a balloon? That's just too weird", the pony with the two-toned mane adds and the two laugh until they reach the first floor of the building, the floor where the dance is taking place. The moment they arrive, they spot a group of mares and stallions in different clothes entering the room where loud music and colorful light erupts from.

They make their way to the room's opening and peek inside to see how many students have already arrived and if their friends are among them. It doesn't take them long to find the colorful group near the buffet, who, thanks to Yona, also notices them and make their way across the room to the entrance. Yona is wearing a yellow A-Line dress with a flower crown on her head. Silverstream rocks a sparkling light-pink sundress and Smolder a black jumpsuit with a white belt.  
"There you are! We couldn't find you anywhere! We were all so worried!", Silverstream shouts as she hugs the two and Yona nods in agreement.  
"Not all of us were that worried but it's good to see you're okay", the female dragon mumbles but her comment gets drown out by Yona's question.  
"Where have pony and griffon been?"  
"In the cellar... Long story", Gallus answers and rolls his eyes, "It was... really something. Luckily we bumped into Fluttershy a minute ago."  
Sandbar takes a closer look at the group and then quickly scans the room once more to confirm his results.  
"Fluttershy?", Smolder repeats in a questioning tone, but before she can go on, Sandbar interrupts her with a question of his own.  
"Where is Ocellus? Wasn't she with you girls?"  
Gallus, who has not even realized it, also takes a look at the group before scanning the room and, after noticing someone in particular, asks his female friends the same thing.  
"Yeah? Where is she? Did she go missing too?"  
"Wha... Oh, not really. Little fillies room... I think... She's been missing a lot today though", Smolder answers but Silverstream has a different version.  
"She told me that she would go to the nurse's office. Headache and stomachache."  
"Ocellus told Yona she needed to take care of something. That's all."  
"Strange", Sandbar mumbles but, while scanning the room once more he notices something important.  
Neither Gallus nor himself are wearing the right clothes for an event like that and some ponies are already looking at them, mostly those fashionista ponies like Ruby Ribbon and Solar Gown.  
"So...", the stallion begins as he pokes the griffon next to him, "We better get back to the dorms and change. Don't really want to attract anymore attention than necessary."  
But, much to his surprise, Gallus asks him if he could go ahead and wait outside for him. A bit unsure Sandbar agrees to the request and turns around to head for the exit of the building, but before he can even reach it he hears a familiar voice shouting something. Only a few seconds later, Gallus joins him with a white plastic cup full of punch in his one hand, grabs one of his hooves with the other one as he tells him to hurry and drags him outside as fast as they both can. With that, the two males take their leave and begin their little journey to the dorms.

"What... was that all about?", Silverstream, who was watching Gallus the entire time, asks her friends but no one has any idea.  
"No idea. He just went over to drinks and dumped a full cup of water over that pony's head... It was funny and all but... a bit random", Smolder admits but Yona, who recognizes the pony immediately, can't hold back but giggle.  
"What's so funny?", the Hippogriff asks her friend who answers in a whispering manner.  
"That pony's a real bully! Made fun of us behind our back. Yona heard him. Hotshot. Griffon did good!"  
"Oh! That explains a lot! That's so Gallus", Silverstream comments and a smile decorates her face, "Too bad Ocellus missed it."  
"About that... Didn't they say that they ran into Miss Fluttershy?", Smolder asks the two remaining friends, "Doesn't that sound, I don't know... impossible to you?"  
"What Dragon mean?" the yak asks her scaled friend.  
"I was just wondering how they managed to run into each other in the cellar. Miss Fluttershy was on stage with the rest of the teachers during principal Twilight's opening speech and right after that she took over the food table alongside Miss Applejack. Look, she is still there!"  
Smolder points at the pegasus mare, who is currently talking to a group of students in front of one of the food tables..  
"Are you saying they lied to us?", Silverstream asks her friend worriedly but Smolder shakes her head.  
"Hmmm..."  
"I'm back!"  
A sudden voice interrupts Smolder's thought process and a fellow classmate enters the room in a running fashion. A Changeling wearing white Qipao dress with green and yellow markings in the shape of swirls and flowers.  
"What did I miss?"  
"Sandbar and Gallus! We found them!", Yona shouts while jumping up and down a few times.  
"Oh really? That's great! When? How? Where? Tell me everything", the Changeling asks excitedly.  
"Not necessarily...", the dragon mumbles under her own breath, just loud enough for the female Hippogriff right next to her to hear, as her thoughts continue where they left off.

Gallus continues to pull Sandbar until they made some distance between themselves and the Town Hall, and, after deeming it enough, lets go of him. Sandbar, who has to catch his breath first, looks at his friend before asking him the reason for his strange behavior.  
"Oh, let's just say... Revenge is wet", the griffon-male answers with a smirk on his face as he holds the cup out for Sandbar to take, which the latter does.  
"Isn't it revenge is sweet?"  
"Not this time", the griffon answers with the same look.  
The pony eyes the feathered creature for a moment as he puts two and two together.  
"You didn't... Did you?", he asks with a clear hint of excitement in his voice and, after receiving a nod as the answer, bursts out in a hearty laugh.  
"I'm probably gonna get in trouble for that", Gallus admits as he scratches the back of his head, "but it was so worth it. No one messes with you, especially not that jerk!"  
"I'm sure he will leave the both of us and the rest of our friends alone, now that he knows that he would go up against you", Sandbar adds to his friend's explanation before taking a sip from the cup and tasting the warm and fruity liquid.  
"That's a really good punch. Here, try it!"  
He holds the cup close to his friend's face and offers him to take a sip as well. Much to his surprise, Gallus does not take the cup into his own hand. Instead, he opens his beak and places the rim of the cup between it, making it possible for Sandbar to give him a taste by tilting the container. With a giggle, Sandbar does exactly that, giving his friend a taste of the sweet beverage. The two continue talking and joking for a while, trying their best to leave behind what happened but a few things are a bit harder to let go. Still, they enjoy getting to spend time and laugh together, something they haven't done ever since that day. Completely invested in their conversation, neither of them notices that they are going the completely wrong way as they begin to move further and further away from their actual destination.

The town is quiet and most of the houses aren't lit anymore. Only the lanterns outside fill the streets and squares with a dim light, enough to see where one is going but not enough to rival the moon's shine or the stars' sparkle. Their talk, which started all the way back at Town Hall, begins to fall silent and the two just smile at each other and look around, seemingly trying to orientate themselves, which is not as easy as one would think after being in this town for almost half a year or, in Sandbar's case, most of his life. The darkness causes houses to look almost identical and the colorful roofs, often used to point out specific buildings, took on slightly different shades of gray and purple. Suddenly, Sandbar stops as he notices something in the distant, something he recognizes from that day that holds a special place in his heart. Gallus continues to go for a few steps, checking out the upcoming buildings from afar, before he hears the sound of something hitting the ground and, almost like a reflex, looks back at the pony, who dropped the empty cup and is just standing there with no way for the griffon to know why.  
"What's wrong Sandy? Did you step on something?"  
But the earth-pony just shakes his head and points with his hoof into the distance, seemingly aiming for something. This gesture does not answer the griffon's question but, after following the direction his friends shows him, he begins to understand the sudden surprise. He can see a big tree in the middle of an empty meadow, a big oak tree. He recognizes the place and the giant structure itself and, almost as if in trance, he begins to make his way towards it, followed by his pony-friend. The closer the two come, the more details they can make out. The whole tree looks a bit more naked than it did before, most likely because of the lack of sunshine that got even worse the last few days, but the rest looks exactly the same. After a bit of walking they reach the stone-bridge that leads over the same small creek and the good memories of that day return bit by bit, almost as if they are reliving it all over again. Their walk continues until they reach the spot they once covered with their blanket and all of their delicious food. The two look at the ground, the tree and, finally, at each other with smiles on their faces.  
"We must have been going the wrong way the whole time", Gallus realizes and begins to joke and snicker about it but Sandbar does not respond to any of that.  
Instead, he sits down in the grass and pats the place next to him with one of his hooves, signaling Gallus to join him. Not even thinking about rejecting that offer, the griffon-boy places his rump on the surprisingly soft grass and he continues to stare at the tree. A slight shiver runs through his body, starting from his backside all the to the tips of his wings and the longer feathers on his head, but after it goes by the feeling of comfort overcomes him, a feeling of safety and belonging here on this day at this moment. Sandbar spends a bit of time silently looking around until he focuses his eyes on the giant tree next to them, staring it up and down over and over again.  
"Is it just me or does the tree look way bigger now?", Sandbar suddenly asks but, a bit confused by that question, Gallus can't come up with a real answer so he uses that opportunity for one of his jokes.  
"Don't know. Why don't I fly up there like last time and I can tell you. Got anything to throw up there for me to find?"  
This joke catches the pony by surprise but the thought of that moment amuses him as well and he begins to giggle a bit.  
"So you can go and clean yourself again? Sorry but not right now. It was a good chance for me last time though."  
"A chance? For what?", Gallus asks his friend but the way he looks at him already tells him what he needs to know, "Oh... yeah... Thanks again for that..."  
Sandbar, who changed his glimpse from the gigantic plant to the male next to him, notices the sudden change in his friend's voice and he begins to worry a bit.  
"Is something wrong? You suddenly seem... a bit glum. Did I say something wrong? Did something happen?"  
The griffon answers the worried look and, after a bit of struggle, decides it's the time to come clean now.  
"You know, I really loved the flower and I still do but...", Gallus tries to explain but he doesn't know how to start.  
Luckily for him, Sandbar's guess hits the mark and lifts a bit of the burden from the griffon's shoulders.  
"Does it have something to do with what you said back there?"  
Upon hearing that, the griffon swallows something that felt like a big boulder which manifested in his throat the moment this topic came up, making breathing harder and harder, and, after taking a deep breath, he begins to talk from the moment it all started.  
"Yeah... Remember when I told you about me losing control in my room?"  
Sandbar nods.  
"I did something... horrible back then. Something I couldn't forgive, something that wouldn't let go of me."  
He feels a hoof on his shoulder, followed by the pony's gentle voice in his ears.  
"If you want to talk about it... I'm here for you."  
Without even answering the idea, Gallus begins to continue his explanation, going more into detail.  
"I can't remember much of it or how I did it but... After I got myself back under control I noticed the pot was no longer where it used to be. Instead, it was on the floor, broken, and the Aurora's Kiss next to it. After finding something I could keep it in until I found a fitting pod, I learned that it wasn't damaged or anything like that and I was glad about it but... I still couldn't forget about it..."  
Sandbar, who hasn't removed his hoof from his friend's body part, feels how it slightly tremors and, fearing for the impact it must have had on his friend, he tries to support him as best as possible.  
"Gallus... It was an accident and plants are tough so it will be fine. And even if it was damaged, one can always replace them. Don't be so hard o-"  
"NO!", the griffon-boy suddenly shouts as he grips the hoof on his shoulder and turns his head towards the pony it belongs to, "I know that the flower is fine and it will recover, I know that okay. It's not about that! Any other flower wouldn't have been half as bad, I could have replaced just like that but... it was not just any random flower! It was your flower! It was the flower YOU gave me after we spend that amazing day here! That flower reminds me of that! It means so much to me because... be...cause... you..."  
Almost as if his brain caught up with his words, Gallus, with watery, glistering eyes, lets go of his friend and turns his head away. This topic must have really worked him up, causing him to act without thinking and, now that he realized what he said, he regrets it, knowing that it was a risky and strange topic to just babble about.  
Sandbar, who still can't believe what just happened, hears the last few words echoing in his ears, repeating themselves over and over again and, even though he don't know it for sure, completes them. He can't even believe what he is thinking but that doesn't matter right now. The passion he felt in his friend's words and the way he talked about his present sparked his heart and send it into overcharge, not being able to contain the emotion he feels, the emotion that he wanted to keep hidden and locked away, the feeling he tried his hardest to choke just to protect their friendship. Gently he brushes the back of the griffon's head with the same hoof that stayed in contact with him the entire time and, upon gaining the griffon's attention and causing him to turn his head a bit his way, he uses the other hoof to turn it a bit more, enough to place his lips on the yellow beak. He closes his eyes and tries to feel how the other male reacts to it but, after feeling the pressure of a claw on the back of his head, waves of joy and excitement rush through his body as if it were a highway, and he loses himself in the sensation he longed for ever since realizing the meaning of those feelings.  
Gallus, who is ashamed of the way he just screamed his real feelings into the face of the pony they are targeted at, is a bit confused when he feels something on the back of his head but that confusion is quickly replaced by panic as he feels soft lips being pressed against his beak and the picture of Sandbar's closed eyes right in front of him. Only seconds later, he begins to lose himself and, in the end, relinquishes the fight he already lost from day one, not that he even intended to fight in the first place. He has enough time to ask question after it ends, now he wants to enjoy himself.

Their lips stay connected for only eight seconds, seconds that go from feeling like minutes to hours to days until it matches the concept of infinity. Uncountable different thoughts, feelings and hormones fill the males' heads, ranging from happiness, to worry, to confusion and satisfaction, and occupy them, taking complete control over it. Slowly but surely, breathing gets harder and, to refill their lungs with oxygen, the two ultimately break the kiss, just staring into each other's slightly open eyes, taking in the blushing picture in front of them, softly breathing in and out through their nostrils as their closed mouth form a pleasant smile. Gallus is the first to turn his head away, followed by dropping his upper body onto the grass below, changing into a lying position. He focuses his eyes on the star-filled sky above, not really knowing what to say or if he really has to say anything at all. His mind is complete chaos. Sandbar, who watches the other creature, mimics his actions and ends up right next to him, also staring into the glittering firmament. They stay silent for a moment, unsure about where to go from here but, tired of staying silent, Sandbar decides to take the lead.  
"You mean a lot to me, Gallus. More than any classmate ever did and way more than a friend possibly can... I can't explain it myself but who cares, right?. It just feels right... This felt right and this right here feels right. Hopefully, you feel the same."  
He pauses for a moment, hoping for Gallus to give him a reaction or maybe even say a few words but the griffon stays silent, possibly overwhelmed by the whole situation, possibly confused or maybe even disturbed, even though Sandbar rules this possible explanation out immediately. The way he gave into the kiss and his lack of resistance exposed his enjoyment. Then again, a bit of doubt creeps up inside of the pony. After all, he has no idea how his friend deals and reacts to such things.  
"And if not, I hope... you didn't min-", he tries to carefully cover that newfound area as well but the feeling of a claw gently, but at the same time tightly and with a clear hint of determination, grabbing his own hoof stops him. To get a better view of it, Sandbar slightly raises his upper-body, which also gives him a better angle to see the griffon's deeply red face, who notices his eyes almost immediately and, a bit embarrassed by his gesture, tries to avert them.  
 _He's... surprisingly shy and timid. It's rare to see him like that... it's really cute._  
Sandbar giggles, knowing that he must be looking equally colored, and lays back down before gently sliding closer until their bodies touch in several areas. The two males stay like that for a moment until Gallus' body, much to Sandbar's surprise, begins to shift a bit and, eventually, get up. To make it easier for his friend, he attempts to let go but the griffon keeps the hoof in his grasp, not giving any room to escape. As soon as he stands steadily on his three limbs, Gallus finally says the first words since their sign of deep affection.  
"Sandy... Let's go back", he says with an obvious tremble in his voice.  
"To the dance?", the pony, who also began to get up, asks but the feathered male shakes his head.  
"To the dorms. Forget the Dance."  
The choice of words may sound rude and mean to others but the stallion knows that there must be a reason behind that decision and, when he's completely honest with himself, Sandbar already thought the same thing. Getting ready for and returning to the Dance is not the way he wants to spend the rest of this night so, without even thinking about it, he nods and, within a few seconds, he stands next to Gallus in a similar fashion but with the opposite front limb on the ground, still using the other one to stay connected with the other male. Both of them turn their heads once more to take in the picture of the big plant behind them before going into the direction they expect the school to be, creating distance between themselves and the big oak tree in the process.

The way home is, compared to the walk before, awfully quiet and, with everything that just happened, a bit awkward. Once in a while Gallus turn his head to face the equine, ready to say something, but the moment their eyes meet he blushes and immediately turns away again, pretending to be completely focused on the path even though it was quite obvious that his eyes were still glued to the pony's face. Sandbar got a bit nervous and unsure about the griffon's behavior but he he figures that he just needs some time to really comprehend what just happened. The moment was pretty abrupt after all. The moment they reach the bridge that leads to the school, Gallus actually tries to form a real sentence but he stops right in the middle of it, resulting in a question with more than enough possible meanings.  
"Hey... do you..."  
Sandbar doesn't try to force it out, he appreciates his attempts of communicating. In silence, they finally reach the completely dark school building and, after walking around it and up the path, the only partly illuminated dorm building. Except for the main hall and the hallways, the building is absent of any light, making it look almost as abandoned as the school itself right now. The two enter the building and reach the point where their ways usually separate as Gallus goes up the stairs while Sandbar stays on this floor but, before this event occurs, Gallus decides to take it into his own claws and change that path.  
"Sandy... Do you mind... staying in my room tonight?"  
This question eases the pony's weak but still existing worries and, with an mental sigh of relief, the teal-maned male nods with a smile on his face, a smile the griffon copies, showing one for the first time since their kiss. Secretly, Sandbar knew that either he had to ask Gallus for staying over at his place or, much preferred, Gallus asking him to stay with him the night, giving them more time to talk and really define their current relationship. He was also very sure that, if he had to spend the night alone, he wouldn't get any shuteye at all or, in the best case scenario, two or three hours. Therefore, Gallus actually asking him was in many ways a blessing. The griffon leads the way, despite knowing that Sandbar knows his room's location, and, after opening the door, lets his pony-pal into his own four walls. A feeling of nervousness, which he never felt when entering this room, runs through Sandbar's body, causing his heartbeat to increase a bit, but the feeling of unease ceases when he sees a certain object on the other side of the room.  
 _The Aurora's Kiss!  
_ Without even paying attention to the rest of the room, he immediately closes the distance between himself and the plant and, after hesitating a bit, the griffon follows his classmate.  
 _Is it just me or does it look a bit bigger since the last time I saw it? It looks good though! No cracks, no tears and no spots missing pallets but, is it just me or do the blossom look paler? And not only them but the leaves and stem as well...  
_ While analyzing the plant, the object it sits in catches his attention. The former pot is gone and is now replaced by a dark-purple container, something he saw before.  
"Is... that one of Miss Pinkie Pie's pots?"  
"One of the smaller soup pots she couldn't use anymore. She made a few holes in it and gave it to me. Its better than nothing", the male answers the question.  
Sandbar takes a closer look at the pot before returning his attention to the flower itself , smelling it and carefully touching it with his nose and hoof.  
"I'll go get some water. Be right back", Gallus announces before he grabs the closest empty bottle and leaves the room, closing the door in the process.  
Waiting for the griffon to return, Sandbar tries to kill some time by taking a look around the room. He notices a few torn papers in the bin next to the desk not far from his position, and a book, which is in a very bad condition. The picture of Gallus freaking out pops into his mind but, as soon as it completely formed, Sandbar forces it to disappear again by shaking his head, not wanting to think about it because he is ready to leave it in the past. He lets his attention drift through the room, looking out for anything interesting and, after a bit of scanning, he actually notices something on the bed. Before he can even attempt to get closer, Gallus returns. Upon hearing the door opening, Sandbar flinches a bit and, a bit embarrassed by almost getting caught snooping around, he quickly refocuses on the flower and pretends like nothing happened.  
"I'm back with some water", the griffon announces and comes closer, ready to give it to his floral possession, but before he can even do it, the pony next to him indirectly interferes.  
"Thanks, I could use some right now"  
With those words Sandbar takes the bottle out of Gallus' claw and, in one session, chugs half of it's content before taking a break to exhale louder than usual, something one does sometimes when drinking something refreshing.  
"Glad you liked it", the blue-yellow feathered male says accompanied by a snicker, "Drink up, I'll just get some more for the plant."  
Now knowing that the water was never meant for him, the stallion titters with a clear hint of embarrassment and carefully pours the rest of the water onto the petals and leaves, which ultimately ends up on the soil, slowly sinking into it.  
"No, no, no! Sorry, I hope that's enough for you", he apologizes to the little flower before leaving it alone and concentrating on the other creature in the room, who, in the time it took Sandbar to water the plant, moved to the bed and picked something up. The pony watches as his friend carries the thing he saw earlier to the closet and carefully places it there.  
 _My jacket..._  
Upon noticing the pony looking at him, he closes the closet again and scratches the back of his head.  
"Just put something away I thought about wearing tonight but that's not necessary anymore."  
 _That's... so sweet of him...  
_ He then returns to the bed and sits on it, patting the spot next to him, almost mimicking Sandbar back at the tree.  
A bit hesitant, the pony shows him a smile and takes the place, sitting down next to the other male. They remain silent for a few seconds until Gallus, surprisingly, takes the lead.  
"Did... Did you mean it? What you said back at the tree?", the griffon asks in an unusual shy manner but strangely matching his behavior ever since the incident.  
Without even thinking about it, Sandbar nods as he answers the question.  
"Every single word... What about you? Do you... you know."  
He turns his head and meets the griffon's blue eyes, which, after a few seconds of staring, dodge his own as a reddish hue surrounds them. Awaiting words from the beak in front of him, Sandbar is caught off-guard when he feels how one of the dark blue wings covers his shoulder and pulls him closer. Taking this as the answer he asked for, the stallion closes his eyes and begins to gently rub his neck against the griffon's fluffy neck. Gallus uses this chance to plant a kiss on the pony's mane-covered head and catch him in an embrace, never wanting to let his new mate go. Both of them know that their current relationship has officially changed from just friends to mates, bringing new chances but also new challenges they will need to overcome but they are certain that they will manage that as long as they have each other.  
"Sandy?", the griffon mumbles, "What will we tell the others?"  
"I'll think of an excuse for why we couldn't make it back to the Dance. Don't you worry about that now."  
"Not that", Gallus answers with a little chuckle, "Us... this.  
To emphasis what he means, he tightens his hold for a brief moment.  
"Oh... Well, we could tell them what happened or we could tell them nothing... at least not yet", the pony suggests, leaving the choice to the griffon who thinks for moment.  
"This is... so new for me... Maybe it's better to just keep it between the two of us, at least for now. What do you think?"  
The stallion looks up to the griffon's face and smiles, showing his approval. Upon noticing the smile, Gallus smiles back and they come together in another kiss, shorter but by no means less passionate and impactful.  
They stay like this for moment before the excitement of the entire day, from the strenuous morning to the tumultuous afternoon to the overwhelming evening, catch up to them and begins to pull them into a deep slumber. Before completely succumbing to it, the two males change their position from on top of the blanket to under it. Now knowing that all the problems they had to go through were worth the trouble in the end, the two fall asleep, still staying connected through the griffon's claws holding the pony in front of him close to his chest. The sound of their heartbeats create a calming rhythm that helps them find the rest they need.


	20. Path 2: Epilogue

The morning sun, which shines into the room through the window, is not what wakes the pony from his deep slumber, neither is it the lack of pressure on his chest. Gallus must have loosened his grip and ultimately released him sometime during the night, most likely so he can turn around because the two males are now laying back-to-back. Instead, a sound managed to get through to him and cause him to return from dreamland. With sleep still stuck in his eyes, Sandbar slowly leaves the bed, trying his best not to awake the snoozing griffon next to him, and heads for the door to stop the ongoing knocking from continuing.  
"I'm coming, I'm coming", he mumbles for no apparent reason because it is pretty obvious that his voice will not reach the creature on the other side of the wooden door.  
Without thinking much, Sandbar opens the door a bit and takes a look through the gap he created, meeting the olive-colored eyes of a yak.  
"Sandbar? What pony doing here? Why not in your room? And where is griffon?", Yona asks him as she eyes him, obviously surprised to see him.  
The pony, who is still mentally limited due to just waking up, just stares at his friend and mumbles something under his breath.  
"Sandbar?", the female yak tries to get her friend to answer and, eventually, his brain finally kicks in and reacts to the problem in hoof.  
 _Right! I slept in Gallus room last night!_ , the memories of the night before return, _I couldn't think of an excuse yet... Come on! Think, think!  
_ "Oh hey Yona", the earth-stallion tries to buy himself some time, "What a surprise to see! What are you doing here? Can I help you with something? And, now that I think of it, how was the Dance last night?"  
The sudden avalanche of questions overwhelms Yona and, after a few seconds of processing, she turns the tables once more.  
"Yona could ask pony same questions. Except... for last one maybe because pony and griffon were not there. Also, Yona asked first!"  
 _I mean... I bought myself a few seconds but I still have no idea what to say. I got no other chance but to stall her even more.  
_ "Oh of course, sorry. I was just so surprised to see you. What were the questions again?"  
"Wha... You... I...", Yona stammers as frustration begins to slowly build up and, before it can grow any more she vents the little bit she has by talking a bit louder than usually.  
"Pony asked questions! And before that Yona asked where griffon is and what pony is doing here!"  
"Riiiiiiiight, now I remember... You see, it's actually really simple. Gallus is here sleeping and I was... erm..."  
"Sandbar? Are you here to check on me again?"  
The voice of the griffon suddenly rings out from behind Sandbar, catching both Yona and himself by surprise.  
 _Huh? What is he talking about? I never checked on h... Oh! I get it! That's a good idea.  
_ "G-Gallus! I was about to but you were asleep and then Yona came and all this happened. How are you doing? Feeling better?  
"Griffon sick?", the yak asks loudly, showing that their little fib is working.  
"I wasn't feeling so good yesterday. I don't know how it really happened but when we got here my head began to hurt like crazy and my stomach too. Sandbar stayed here and kept an eye on me. Thanks again for that."  
"No problem. That's what friends are for! Are you feeling better?"  
The two begin to play off each other as if they were putting on a play, hoping to convince their one spectator.  
"Yep, no pain whatsoever. You were right, a good night's rest can do wonders!"  
"Great to hear!"  
"Yona also happy to hear that! Yona came here to tell griffon about great idea! We will all eat lunch together to talk about out plans for holidays! See you at two in cafeteria, okay? Yona will go and tell Ocellus she found pony and told him."  
"Sounds good", Sandbar accepts the invitation and so does the griffon, who, in the meantime, got out of bed and also heads for the door to see his friend.  
Together the two males watch as their friend heads down the stairs. Gallus closes the door and, the moment it is completely sealed, both of them let out a loud sigh.  
"That... was way too much stress for me", the pony complains and his friend agrees.  
"And so risky... Didn't you say that you would think of an excuse? What happened to that?"  
"I did not expect to see them that early!", the earth-pony explains his struggle, "I thought we would casually walk into one of them later but not that they would catch me in your room first thing in the morning! I tried to think of something but... I was too panicky."  
"Lucky for us I heard most of it and had time to think of something", Gallus prides himself in his achievement but his boyfriend's next words cause it to disappear almost immediately.  
"Yeah, thanks... I should probably get going though before someone else comes in and wonders what I'm doing here", Sandbar begins to explain as he opens the door of the room, "I also got a few things to do and I don't want to procrastinate it any longer than I need to."  
"Oh... sure", the griffon mumbles and the disappointment in his voice can not be ignored, even if one really wanted to.  
 _No! I can't just leave him like that_ , Sandbar thinks to himself when he hears those words.  
"Hey", the stallion tries to cheer the feather-covered male up as he closes the door once again, "You could come over after our meeting with the others if you want. Hanging out a bit and stuff."  
"Y-Yeah! Totally! I'll be there."  
"Great", the pony whispers after coming closer.  
To seal the deal, he gives his boyfriend a peck on the cheek but, much to his surprise, Gallus answers with a kiss on the lips. Heat begins to spread from his blushed cheeks until his entire body is burning like a flame. The beat of his heart increases in speed and strength, making it feel like it could jump out of his chest any second. The kiss only lasts seconds but, just like before, it feels like time stands still until their lips part.  
"Great", Gallus repeats the pony's words who chuckles after hearing it.  
"See you later."  
But before he can open the door once more, Gallus surprises him with another sentence.  
"I... love you."  
Upon hearing this, Sandbar immediately turns around and gives his mate a hug followed by another kiss.  
"I love you too", he whispers back with a gentle smile on his face.  
Those are the last words spoken before Sandbar leaves the room but both of them know that this is a whole new chapter in their lives. A chapter both of them are looking forward to writing together.


End file.
